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Belle and Sebastian ★★★★
Palace Theatre, August 23
Attending a Belle and Sebastian concert is like traveling back in time. It was the late 90s or early 2000s, and while searching bookstores and libraries for something you liked, you found an album that looked good and took it home. You put it in the CD player and let the warm, sun-streaked sound add color to your monotonous life.
Belle and Sebastian are led by Stuart Murdoch.Credit: Richard Clifford
Often labelled “pretentious”, either loved or derided, the Scottish band’s sincere, bookish indie pop captures the essence of a time and a place. It was evident in their Melbourne audience, who dressed in stripes, berets and cardigans. But life goes on: many with children, hoping to pass on the magic.
Belle and Sebastian have been together for nearly thirty years now, and they are one of the great legendary bands in the indie scene: they are still releasing music, but certain albums will forever define them and their fans.
It’s a blessing and a curse, but so is growth. The precious innocence of some of the band’s early songs is lost in their now-superb performances, but the joy is still palpable. Made up of nine members, including several local musicians, and led by the affable and chatty Stuart Murdoch, the band is a well-oiled machine with occasional chaos. Unlike many touring bands, they don’t have a standard set list – every night the set is different and anything can happen.
Tonight, the mix was muddled, drowning out some of the complexity of the band — whose equipment included winds, brass, strings and vocal harmonies. Newer songs such as So at this moment and Take Back the Night (sung by the lovably chaotic Steve Jackson and the sweet-voiced Sarah Martin, respectively) are over-the-top and mostly unnecessary background projections.
Belle and Sebastian will perform at the Palais on August 23, 2024. Credit: Richard Clifford
The song was nice, but the audience mostly sat there, passive, until a classic song came on. Get me out of here, I’m dyinglet everyone stand up immediately.
From here on, things return to their old ways: the band invites the audience to dance on stage Boy with arabic beltMurdoch in Stay relaxed. Rearrange songs from decades ago and make them sound fresh and new – Original Soundtrack Catcher Square, New York A new look, sleepthe record is subtle yet full of electricity. It feels old yet new at the same time, like opening a dusty book you forgot you ever named it, but still remember what was inside.
Reviewed by: Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen
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