As we shuffled through the guest entrance to the Leeds O2 on Friday night, half an hour late and a little bewildered, we didn’t quite know what to expect from a gig we’d only been made aware of a few hours prior.
What we did know is that Alt-J’s debut, An Awesome Wave, is one of the most complete, catchy and unique albums of the last few years and has been played on repeat in our uni digs more times than we’d care to share. Without a doubt a favourite, we tentatively expected big things from the local band’s return to home ground.
Skinny and endearing, the band took to the stage: the second the opening notes played, any residual anxiety (we had had half an hour to shower, eat and catch a train) vanished. Like a reunion with an old friend, Alt-J was playing and we felt immediately at home.
Newman’s unmistakable vocals demonstrated his prowess as an incredibly ranged singer even when playing live. Thom Green, sporting a Leeds uni tee, brought it home on the drums while Gus deftly conjured Alt-J’s distinct keyboard sound. ‘Fitzpleasure’, ‘Matilda’ and ‘Breezeblocks’ were all huge hits with the crowd, and the venue exploded with energy during my personal favourite, ‘Taro’.
With a calm, slightly awkward stage presence and a pitch-perfect performance of their album, the atmosphere in the O2 was almost ethereal. This serenity by no means compromised the sheer power and boldness exhibited by the talented young musicians.
By including every song in their repertoire, fans no doubt had their hunger sated by the excellent, albeit by-the-books set. However, their rigid adherence to their album in both presentation and order left us wanting a little more: Alt-J lack the unpredictability and excitement that would have made for a perfect evening.
Nevertheless, their talent as live musicians is evident, and their performance is surmised by the only word we were able to utter upon dazedly emerging from the venue: beautiful.