LONDON GRAMMAR | LIVE REVIEW
Solus, Cardiff University Students Union, Tue 28 Jan
As the stage crew finished deploying their final touches, two-thirds of London Grammar took to the stage to a feverish buzz of anticipation. Tonight they began their biggest tour thus far, and dipped their most pedicured of toes into the waves of baying Cardiffians to see what lay in wait.
As guitarist Dan Rothman and drummer/keyboardist Dominic ‘Dot’ Major struck the opening chords of Hey Now, vocalist Hannah Reid slowly made her way to the stage. The atmosphere was electric, as expected. This was the first time the vast majority of people crammed into the venue will have had the slightest whiff of catching one of 2013’s biggest breakthrough acts live. As Reid exhaled her first note, the venue quietened to a hush, partly due to the nature of the band’s material, but mainly in awe of the sound projecting from her slight frame. It’s pretty rare, in my experience, for a voice to fill every last inch of a room, but Reid seemed to make it effortless. It’s a voice that takes the breath and speeds the heart. It’s physical – you feel it rather than merely hear it. She’s also very believable: wearing a ponytail, casual clothing and with minimal stage production, she managed to mesmerise everyone present, and we were all totally immersed.
Rothman and Major need a mention also. They took the source material from the sombre debut album If You Wait, and made it thrive in the live environment. As great as that album is, they realised that to make a great live show, variety is key. Major would sometimes switch from using his electronic drum pads to live drums, which really took a few of the songs to new heights. Most songs performed sounded better than on record, best exemplified by closer Metal & Dust, which slowly built to a godly climax that left people picking their broken jaws up off the floor.
But as the fans filtered out of the venue and into the cold outside, sealed within their vaporised breath were words of astonishment regarding that voice.
words IAN ROGERS