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Live Review: Sigur Ros, Wembley Arena
Other | Sunday 24th November 2013 | Katrine
It was a bitterly cold night, but the Icelandic legends brought a wave of warmth over fans as they gathered in their hundreds. After monumental support from the gauze-hidden I Break Horses, Sigur Ros opened the show with huge icicle-like projections on the white curtain cage, accompanied by a laser display unlike any before. It was so appropriately reminiscent of the Aurora Borealis that the audience would have been forgiven for mistaking the island they were currently on, especially given the temperature. As a climatic moment erupted in Yfirborð, the gauze fell dramatically around the performers and was immediately gathered up by fastidious stagehands. From this point on, the floor and spotlighting was uniquely styled to suit each particular song, from a red, devilish glow illuminating each instrumentalist to a swarm of golden, memorial like tea lights, pulsating in perfect synchronisation with the music.
The sound and lights were not at all the only attractions to this multi sensory spectacle. At the back of the stage, four huge screens displayed the band in out of focus, sepia footage. This archaic filming style fit in naturally with the footage used of old music videos by the band, with evocative images of girls running in slow motion and stairways against a bright pink sky.
We all know Jonsi’s haunting, boyish vocals well, but it is something else entirely in a massive arena. The echo, which was rich, sounded off like a troupe of choirboys, and at one point the frontman held a note a Capella for almost thirty seconds, to an uproar from the already ecstatic crowds. Despite being clearly incredibly well rehearsed, the band play with an undeniable raw passion which gives each member and their music an energy so vivid it has no trouble being translated into the buzzing audience. Unlike at other gigs, there was no need to be familiar with the band’s whole repertoire, as it was so easy to watch in silence and be overwhelmed by the breath-taking wall of noise they create.
During the Hoppípolla, the bass and organ consumed all remaining discontent while the stadium was lit up in a heavenly golden glow. Definitely a highlight. Svefn-g-Englar could have been an unbelievable ending due to it’s reflective and final nature and the fact that I felt contented in a way unusually found at live performances, however it came roughly fourth from the last. It’s no secret that these guys absolutely adore what they do, which makes watching them even more enjoyable. In a friendly and charming conclusion to the event the band returned to the stage to bow together, attempting (feebly) to trash their set by throwing a couple of microphones off it in the process.
Katrine Aziz
@KatrineAziz
