Sigur Ros @ Westminster Central Hall
June 24 2008 @ Westminster Central Hall, London.
On the insurance advert Joanne Lumley and Nigel Havers smugly ask; 'Are you privileged?’, at which point I throw my shoe at the bastards on the screen; 'NO, I most certainly am not privileged. I have an overdraft bigger than the Grand Canyon, I don't own a house, I have spots', etc, etc. But now when they ask in their nefarious way, I'll be able to turn around and say; 'Yes, yes, I most certainly am privileged, because I saw Sigur Ros at Central Hall, Westminster. So fuuuuuhuck you'.
What can I say about it? It was awe inspiring, innocent, dramatic and fun.
Yes, there I said it, Sigur Ros were fun; Evidence no. 1 - The emergence of the brass band parading across the stage during 'Se Lest', which had hitherto been a lesson in subtlety and delicateness (all glockenspiel and xylophone), Evidence no. 2 - The whole bally lot of them clapping hands to the finale of the main set 'Gobbledigook' (obligatory ticker tape canons included), even 2 members of the brass section hi tenning during the same number and - Evidence no. 3 Jon Por Birgisson jokingly reprimanding the audience for being too polite. What next Radiohead in bermuda shorts!?
'Hafsol' was dark, menacing and saw Georg Holm supplying percussion by hitting his bass strings with a drum stick - a remarkable feat considering he kept a perfect beat throughout the full 10 minutes, before a euphoric ending where chaos descended as Birgisson destroyed his bow frantically smashing it against his guitar. He then threw the remains into the eager hands of an audience member.
I know it's a cliché but I now know how many hairs I have on both my arms - they were stood on end for that long during 'Viðrar Vel Til Loftárása', that I was able to count them!! 'Glosoli' and the classic 'Sven g-englar', had a similar effect but not because of the understated simplicity of the moments in 'Viðrar...' but because of the sheer power they exude when each song finally reaches its crescendo.
However, the real highlight came from the rapturously welcomed 'Hoppipolla'. I don't like this song anymore! Too many times seen accompanying sweeping shots of somewhere I'll never afford to go. However, live it becomes something wholly different and leaves the audience aghast. It doesn't get better than that moment, everything was perfect; the harmonies, the whooping bowed guitar, the string quartet, everything!
They have announced a tour in November - I beseech you for god sakes go, and live the rest of your life privileged.