1,210 WHITE LIES, Bristol Rough Trade Records, Friday 18th February 2022

 

Gigs are like buses… sometimes you wait ages for one (313 days recently of course; thanks a bundle, Covid…), sometimes 4 all come at once! And, kicking off a frankly insane schedule of 4 gigs in the next 4 days over this February weekend, is an in-store appearance by White Lies, promoting their impending 6^th album “As I Try Not To Fall Apart”. A little “on the nose” title-wise (I mean, aren’t we all just holding it together day by day in these fucked up times?), initial listens of a smattering of tracks posted on YouTube indicate that this promises to continue their 80’s-influenced musical evolution from dark, brooding Joy Division-esque post-punk/gothy types to shinier, poppier yet still cerebral synth-led Talk Talk/ Heaven 17 acolytes, whilst still retaining their collective ear for a killer hook and brain-hugging, repetitive melody. Logan and I had already booked tix for their March tour at Bristol O2 Academy, but an in-store at Brizzle’s Rough Trade, reasonably priced and with a free copy of the new CD thrown in? Oh, go on then…!

 Nearly a false start on this one, however, as it coincided with Storm Eunice, possibly the most violent storm event to hit the UK since the 1987 Hurricane… reports of uprooted trees and motorway closures kept us on tenterhooks throughout the day, but by mid-afternoon it showed signs of abating, and by departure time was thankfully little more than a stiff breeze as we headed down the M4, parking in Rupert Street NCP and hitting the Record Store before half 6. Nosed about in the racks (Logan picking up a rather lovely Heaven 17 pic disc single!) and had a drink in the café and an entertaining chat about which kind of animal Logan could beat in a fight (!), which passed the time until the doors opened for this little side-room venue just after 7 and we quickly grabbed a spot down the front, house right. A capacity of 200 for this room, I understand, so a rare opportunity to see White Lies, an Academy-level band for pretty much their entire existence, at seriously close quarters…

 

In relaxed mood too, as the band took the stage prompt at 7.30, the usual core 3-piece of “H Bomb” Harry McVeigh (see gig 1,013 for explanation!), Charles Cave and Jack Lawrence-Brown being augmented by keyboardist Tommy Bowen for this “Unplugged” low-key show. Brief greetings, then they eased into opener “There Goes Our Love Again”, an understated synth colourwash replacing the usual overt, upfront instrumentation, and Harry reining in his usual strident projective vocal style, “Great to see you’ve survived the storm!”, quipped the seated frontman before introducing newie “I Don’t Want To Go To Mars”, which even given the unplugged treatment tonight, is still an old school White Lies banger with a huge soaring chorus, and is a likely shoe-in for my “Best Of 2022” compo CD. Yeah, already!

 “Morning In LA” was next up, drummer Jack underlying the relaxed nature of the performance by kicking into the song whilst Harry was still introducing it! This slower burn track suited the semi-acoustic setting perfectly, Harry really cutting loose on the high “I’m still hanging on…” hook for the first time this evening as well. “Farewell To The Fairground” (“a favourite from the first album…”) really worked as well, as did the subsequent more yearning and plaintive “Is My Love Enough”, the boys cleverly picking and choosing songs from their impressive canon which would better withstand the stripped-back treatment. Charles later made a comment underlining this point (“I first heard Smashing Pumpkins on a DVD – no-one told me it was acoustic – it was shit!”), but the numbers they chose tonight simply revealed the innate quality of their songwriting.

 

A final “Bigger Than Us” – one which I didn’t think they would actually try, given the usual moody synth pulse and dramatically soaring chorus, but one which they reworked radically tonight, turning it into a deliciously morose half-paced elegy – concluded “a real pleasure”, according to Harry, a fine 40 minute vignette serving as an appetiser for the full-on band gig at the O2 next month. That wasn’t it, though, as the band happily met the punters and signed copies of the new CD and other paraphernalia. Me being me, I took a copy of an earlier gig book for them to sign their list from gig 806 (dating from 2011!) and the boys took time to glimpse through, Jack particularly pausing over a Psychedelic Furs list. Hmmm… A brief chat and pics with this affable bunch, also recalling our previous post-gig meet at Frome a couple of years back (gig 1,145), then back along a calmer M4 and home before 10 with late kebab tea. Splendid evening, appetite now well and truly whetted for next month…