The Decemberists
The Coronet, Elephant and Castle
Thursday 19th November 2009
This was one of the best gigs I've been to in a long while. We arrived in time to catch half of Emmy the Great's set, which was really excellent. She has a gorgeous voice, and the songs are lovely. I'd happily listen to her to chill out of an evening.
The Decemberists first played through Hazards of Love as a suite. Only five or six musicians (I didn't actually count), but playing so many instruments and swapping in and out didn't interrupt the flow of the album. It was incredibly powerful, although it was musically not different to the album, it had a very different feeling. I was all shivery and cheerful at the end.
And just to make it even more exciting, they came back! Highlights of the second half were definitely 16 Military Wives and the finale, The Mariner's Revenge. Particularly as someone had been chucking an inflatable killer whale around which was confiscated by the band until the point at which it was required to eat a few sailors!
The conversation in the second half was witty, the audience were possibly the politest and most tuneful I have ever seen at a gig and I loved it. You definitely must see the Decemberists at least once in your lifetimes.
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