Band of Horses

Aside from having a beautifully-crafted name and knowing that they hailed from Seattle, I must admit I didn’t know what to expect from Band Of Horses. Having been subject to a lot of hype in the press as of late (even featuring on the Dave Letterman show) I had no other option than to saddle up, and make my way down, on a chilly summer night, to the Gaelic Club, for a canter into their world…

I missed Johnny Vance, the first support act, unfortunately, but managed to settle in to my solo position just as 78 Saab strolled across the stage. These Australian born and bred lads have been kicking around the traps for some time now, and seem never to have got the recognition they deserve. This was apparent through the way the band presented themselves throughout the set and comments made by Ben Nash (lead guitar/vocals), referring to the fact that it is almost Christmas, and the Band Of Horses support slot was their third one of the whole year.

This aside, with a tame and appreciative crowd and some honest, heartbreaking tunes, 78 Saab were a pleasure to watch. “Under No Illusions” was magnificent in the live arena, “Honey I’m So Messed Up” brought a tear to my eye and “Drive” (dedicated to Nash’s younger brother) was a catchy, bop-along tune. I especially enjoyed observing the cowboy-hat wearing, maraca shaking, ring in, that also helped the band out with keys during their short set.

With much anticipation, onto the stage ambled the fine men of Band Of Horses. What can I say? These five men were easy on this reviewer’s eye – what, with their corresponding, coloured, tight-fitting t-shirts, facial hair and shaggy haircuts - collective gasp could be heard from the female component of the audience, and groans of admiration from the males.

The second song from Band Of Horses, “Weed Party”, was an early highlight, with fans easily to spot in the crowd as they swayed and sung along to the memorable lyrics of this track. On “Our Swords”, the emphasis on the bass line was un-missable and standout. Ben Bridwell’s (lead vocals/guitar) solo interlude towards the end of the set with appreciated, with the lovely and aptly referred to track “La Di Da” giving everyone that warmed-heart feeling.

In detriment to this incredibly talented band, members of the audience continued to talk and laugh loudly through the whole set, even in the beautiful, intimate moments provided by Band Of Horses. I appreciate that everyone there had paid their money and wanted to enjoy themselves, but I think at this level, it was quite disrespectful to the band. Bridwell battled this though, with his humorous one-liners and quirky comments, about how much he liked performing and how great Sydney was.

The performance overall was majestic, the boys happy to be performing and rocking out to their more popular tracks, “The Great Salt Lake” and “Funeral”. At times, Bridwell could be compared to the great Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips, in a less wailing sense. The band is pretty tight, and seemed so content with being where they were that night – the crowd gently swaying and smiling all around them.

Disappointingly, Band Of Horses galloped away sans an encore, but nonetheless, leaving a giant hoof-print on the lucky punters that attended the gig that night.

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