Well, I suggested that the atmosphere at tonight’s concert at The Forum would probably be very different to last night’s at The Barbican and I was not wrong. The setting was much more intimate, with people able to clammer at the foot of the stage, mere centimetres away from Lisa and Brendan as they performed.
Tonight’s sound was very crisp and clear; on a par with last night’s, I’d say. However, the sound of the band was far from being the only sound perceptible to the ear. Just about every kind of unwanted noise you can imagine intruded upon tonight’s performance.
Two bars within the auditorium itself ensured lots of background noise from the clinking bottles being served to customers. Amusing shutter sounds from digital cameras were anything but amusing in the context of a Dead Can Dance concert. The occasional mobile phone beeped as it received an SMS message. People chattered in the back of the venue, blissfully unaware of the level of white noise they were creating throughout the auditorium. Other people indignantly shushed the noise-makers, creating yet more kerfuffle. Finally, to top it all, plastic beer cups would occasionally be scrunched underfoot by someone. Only the sound of breaking glass could have been more jarring.
The level of background noise was very offputting to me, but didn’t seem to bother the band at all. The Wind That Shakes The Barley was, I felt, all but ruined, but Lisa soldiered on as if there were no audible distractions at all. It’s a great testament to her powers of concentration.
The set, if I remember correctly, was identical to last night’s. The new songs are definitely starting to grow on me and I look forward to hearing them on the live CDs when they are released.
Brendan has definitely changed a lyric of American Dreaming to refer to a girl who is not American, but I still can’t discern which adjective he’s now using to describe her. Presumably the current love of his life is no longer an American.
As was the case last night, the band gelled together very well throughout the set. The timing was spot-on with no problems at all.
After the last song, the band clapped and thanked the audience a little more thoroughly than last night. After all, it wasn’t just the end of a concert: it was the end of a tour. Brendan made a grateful gesture with his fist as he parted company and it was all over.
After the show, Niall invited me upstairs for the after-show party, where I was fortunate enough to exchange a few words with both Brendan and Lisa. I’m happy to be able to report that Lisa was looking much more well than after last night’s concert.
Brendan told me that there are currently no plans to record any of the new material in the studio. I asked him if he’d been put off by the degree of background noise, but he said that they had deliberately opted for this more intimate setting, knowing the consequences of their choice. Ideally, he’d like to marry the respectful attention that a seated venue naturally demands of its audience with the intimacy of a standing venue, but he feels this combination is impossible. I would have to agree.
Perhaps the most memorable moment of the entire evening was the loving embrace that Lisa and Brendan gave each other when Lisa had to leave the party. It was touching to see them say goodbye to one another.
And that’s it until the North American tour. All of you who are able to attend won’t be disappointed, I’m sure.
Thanks to Lisa, Brendan and the other band members for a couple of excellent concerts these last two evenings. May there be many more!