Every time, somewhere just a bit bigger…! Excellent Canadian dreampop combo Alvvays continue their ascent through Bristol’s gig venues; sell-outs at the Thekla (gig. 936) and the Fleece (gig 958) in 2015, then the Trinity in 2018 (gig. 1,071), so the next step up is this one, the bigger but awkwardly shaped SWX… I’d actually paused on tix for this, the opening night of a brief 5 date precursor to a lengthier European jaunt, as it fell on Logan’s 17th birthday; after I’d played him some stuff I finally jumped before it too, predictably, sold out… However, earlier today he passed his CBT and, understandably, preferred to go out on his new motorbike, over joining his old man for a band which was just outside his usual folky punky wheelhouse…
A
late replacement attempt proved fruitless, so I flew solo down a sweltering, sun-kissed
M4, hitting the venue 20 minutes after doors and finding the front already
rammed. Bah! Took a watching brief halfway back, house left, as the place
quickly filled up. A pleasant surprise for tonight was the support; only
Stockholm’s finest, Girl Scout! They’d entertained mightily on a couple of
Coach Party supports last year (gigs 1,260 and 1,296), and evidently seemed
determined to do the same tonight. On prompt at 8, vocalist Emma Janssen
energetically led her charges through an upbeat, dynamic set of melodic, resonant
pure pop, opening with the pastoral tones of the laconic “Run Me Over” with its’
melodic, high register “can I just be good?” choral hook, then ramping up a
gear with the more robust thumper “All The Time And Everywhere” and the
Pixies-ish, quiet-loud menacing strut of “Monster”. Emma gushed about
supporting Alvvays (“[they’re] one of our biggest inspirations, so this is
insane!”) before the Coach Party-esque undulating build of next single “Honey”;
then a couple of galloping indie bangers in the metronomic Stereolab rhythm and
impressively held single note choral climax of “I Just Need You To Know” and
the inevitable, careering closer “Do You Remember Sally Moore?” rounded off a
rather splendid support slot. Honoured or not to be supporting Alvvays, they weren’t
overawed by the occasion; if anything, they upped their game tonight, and
persuaded me to book for their early 2025 Louisiana gig (announced by Emma late
on), toot sweet!
A quick break to book that gig and pick up a Girl Scout CD from the merch stand (at last!), then back in place for Alvvays’ arrival at 9, to the usual piped intro music and a wild reception from this sold out and mainly quite young and female crowd. “Molly Mayhem” (aka vocalist Molly Rankin) took the stage last, easing into widescreen, melancholy and dreamily stately opener “Easy On Your Own” and the more upbeat, C86 optimistic jangle-along “After The Earthquake”, highlighting both elements of their musical oeuvre and setting the tone for tonight’s set. The epic, rousing singalong of “In Undertow” followed, Molly announcing at its’ conclusion, “we’re going to play some songs; they’re all short but there are many of them!”
In stark contrast to the jangly, ramshackle haphazard-ness of their C86 “Indie DIY”
spiritual forbears, Alvvays are becoming quite the slick, practiced and
professional (if that’s not a dirty word) band “live”, delivering a set which
switched through both material from their 3 albums, and stylistically between
the slow-burn, melancholy and atmospheric dreampop and ebullient and upbeat
pacey Smiths/ Razorcuts-esque undulating Rickenbacker jangle, with seamless and
effortless ease. An early “Adult Diversion” raced along rambunctiously powered
by Molly’s strident choral squeal; “Not My Baby” was a deliciously dismissive
heartbreak wallow; and “Atop A Cake” with its timeless melody (could have been
Dusty Springfield, could have been The Smiths), infectious hook and mellifluous
riffery, was a shining mid-set highlight.
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