Red Sparowes Live At The Scala, Kings Cross, London 10th October 2010
Unless you're a particular follower of the ambient/post-metal genre (or you've read my recent album review of The Fear is Excruciating But Therein Lies The Answer on Rocksins), there's probably not too many people who have heard of Red Sparowes. Anyone who falls into this category, I have only this to say: It is your loss. With the recent departure of their peers and one of the founders of the genre ISIS, Red Sparowes are more important to the world of ambient post-metal than ever.
With this in mind, being one of the first into the London Scala just down the road from Kings Cross station on Sunday night it seemed like the turnout was going to be disappointingly sparse. However by the time Red Sparowes hit the Scala stage just before 9 O'Clock, the place was bursting at the seems. Myself and Iain had a fantastic spot in the front row, so close you could literally touch the stage.
Before the main event there was the unusual and interesting support from solo act Head of Wantastiquet. There was very interesting use of both a banjo and a guitar combined with a multitude of effects pedals, and at one point he even played the banjo like a violin. Some bits were better than others, but it was quite engrossing!
Head of Wantastiquet: Interesting and different
Writing this 24 hours later I've had some time to take in the show, and it was nothing short of mesmerising. This was the third time I have been priveleged to see Red Sparowes live and it totally blew both other times out of the proverbial water. A lot of Red Sparowes songs have the power to draw you into the music like few other bands are capable of (I would LOVE to see them tour with Tool, who I think are one of the few bands capable of having the same effect) and this is magnified tenfold in a live setting.
The setlist was one to please the most hardcore of Sparowes fan (and there were plenty in attendance judging by the reception the band got, growing ever louder after every song) ranging from The Freeway from their first demo E.P. and first album opener Alone & Unaware all the way through to new material like A Hail of Bombs from the brilliant previously mentioned new album The Fear is Excruciating.
Red Sparowes: Utterly Breathtaking
One of Red Sparowes main strengths is that their songs manage to combine moments of audible beauty while seconds later sounding as dark and despairing as you can get. This is large evidence on The Great Leap which probably just about takes the title of song of the evening (though its very hard to choose, it was all fantastic) and brought about a mass headbanging session (sometimes its headbanging music and sometimes its not). An hour and 10 minutes absolutely flew by, and the Scala was very loud in demanding an encore which was duly given.
The level of performance was top notch from all members of the band, transitioning between instruments, often multiple times within one song without a fault. My only complaint is that it didn't feel like it lasted long enough, though of course in reality an hour and a half is nothing to complain about, I would have happily watched them go on all night.
Iain managed to snag a copy of the setlist (which needs some translating), I think I remembered or worked out most of it but if anyone reads this and it needs correcting, please feel free to correct me.
The full Red Sparowes set list was:
- Buildings Began To Stretch Wide Across The Sky, And The Air Filled With A Reddish Glow.
- A Hail Of Bombs
- The Freeway
- A Swarm
- The Great Leap Forward Poured Down Upon Us One Day Like A Mighty Storm, Suddenly And Furiously Blinding Our Senses.
- Error Has Turned Animals Into Men, And To Each The Fold Repeats.
- Giving Birth To Imagined Saviors
- In Illusions Of Order
- ===========================
- Alone And Unaware, The Landscape Was Transformed In Front Of Our Eyes.
- We Left The Apes To Rot, But Find The Fang Grows Within.
If you like ambient, classical or metal music, or all 3, make sure you see Red Sparowes live. It is an experience you won't forget. One of the best shows I've seen easily in the last few years, and I've seen a lot of gigs.
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Setlist