Sigur Ros – Westminister Methodist Central Hall 24/06/08

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Photographs: Ama Chana

Unfairly maligned as coffee-table bland-merchants after the BBC commandeered their back catalogue to score every trailer on the network, there’s still tons of evidence to suggest Sigur Ros’ sweeping post-rock crescendos stand head and shoulders over their many imitators. Although even the most ardent of fans must admit they stick doggedly to a tried and tested formula, it’s a formula that undoubtedly works- as is proved beyond doubt tonight.

Westminster Methodist Hall provides an intimate, plush setting that works well in conjunction with the Icelanders’ often mellow soundscapes, and even though the set-up of the venue deprives them of their awe-inspiring visuals they’ve still got enough crowd-pleasing tricks up their sleeve to wow the audience. An unexpected burst of confetti during ‘Með Blodnasir’ and the emergence of a fully-dressed up brass band during ‘Se Lest’s’ climax are particularly delightful, and add a lighthearted touch to a band so often (wrongly) typified as humourless bores.

The new songs from their just-released fifth album Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust generally live up to the high standards we’ve come to expect from them, but they’re a bit too derivative of previous work, with the marked exception of the gleeful Animal Collective-ish psych-folk of Gobbledigook which hints that a welcome diversification may be in store for future releases. In any event, the live version was delivered with obvious relish by their 14-strong musical retinue, who armed themselves with all variety of percussion and even induced the crowd to partake in some audience participation.

But ultimately, it was the transcendental ‘Olsen Olsen’/‘Hafssol’ double-punch that truly elevated this show to legendary status, the latter culminating in a crescendo flurry of flailing violins, frantic percussion and Jonsi’s possessed e-bowing with jaw-droppingly sublime results. The twelve-minute ‘Untitled 8′, even without the epilepsy-inducing light show was as monumentally intense as ever and perhaps in recognition that this was an unusual show, they added an unprecedented second encore to preview brand new Anglophonic track ‘All Alright’.

If they have one fault, it’s that they may be too polished for their own good- a touch more rawness wouldn’t go amiss from time to time. But otherwise it was an breathtaking performance from one of the world’s most impressive live bands; a beautiful introduction for first-timers, an intimate treat for the seasoned fan.