Low – Union Chapel, London 19/04/08

After opening with a hauntingly tender version of ‘Murderer’, you could say more than a slight chill went up my spine. Bands like Low are just tailor-made to play venues like this and it was no big surprise that this gig sold out weeks ago. The sound resonates all around the high ceilings and vast spaces of the Union Chapel as Alan Sparhawk calls out “You may need a murderer, Someone to do your dirty work”. It sounds so profusely evil and extreme that you would feel absolutely uneasy and uncomfortable if it wasn’t sugar-coated with such sweet tender harmonies.

Tonight’s show consisted largely of material from their latest record, Drums & Guns. A record which upon the first brief listening, I never really appreciated. This was until I saw them perform the same songs live at their All Tomorrow’s Parties appearance last year (The Dirty Three weekend) when it all made sense. Perhaps it’s because of the major departure into electronica which I found hard to accept but when hearing them played stripped down between guitars, bass, tom and snare drums, they all echoed the core elements which enticed me to Low in the first place. The stark simple beauty and evocative song writing. Songs such as ‘Sandinista’, which was played over to a recorded sample of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s song ‘Ohio’, sounds tensely dark and brooding where Alan asks “Where would you go if the gun fell in your arm? Home to the kids or to sympathetic friends?”. The most arresting thing about Low live is the way that the husband and wife duo of Alan and Mimi Parker’s vocals melds in such a seamless way. Their aching harmonies somehow give their lyrics further meaning. This is a case point in the stunningly heart aching ‘Dragonfly’ and the warm and cordial ‘Point of Disgust’, where Alan earnestly echoes Mimi’s vocals… Stunning.

A wholly rocking guitar rendition of ‘Breaker’ sounds fraught, tattered and ragged but in no way a bad way. It fleshes out the downbeat version on the album with it’s propulsion and intensity. And as good as it appears to be going, there are moments of slight awkwardness. The intro to what I think is ‘2 Step’ eventually halts despite Mimi’s instance to “Keep going…” before breaking into ‘In Metal’. Later Mimi would disprove of Alan’s suggestion that any one with marijuana approach them afterwards as some of their crew have a liking for the green. “Not cool” she replies, with half a smile on her face before they dropped the sumptuous ‘Sunflower’. Later ‘Pissing’, although musically was faultless, did have the new bassist Steve Garrington throwing some rather bizarre shapes and facial expressions. Even though his timely foot stomps were priceless, they didn’t quite fit entirely within the context of the music!

After the encore, the band were inundated with their regular roll call of song requests. “In Violence! July! Walk Into The Sea! In Violence! Be Nice To People With Lice!” … “Oh that one? Let’s see”. And they did play it. I guess if you never ask, then you’ll never receive. And it was one of the evenings highlights. The Alan Sparhawk song contributed to the ‘See You On The Moon’ compilation for children just lifted the formal mood of the night. They finished the evening with fan favourites from the Trust album with ‘Little Argument With Myself’, and ‘Last Snowstorm of the Year’. I don’t think I saw a single face without a smile in that place.