TGE 2009: British Sea Power at the Sallis Benney Theatre
The last time I saw British Sea Power was at Guilfest last year. It was a blustery and overcast day so I can understand why it didn’t look sold out but that is no excuse for the fact that only around 10-15 people saw them. They were easily the best band there on the day I went and were unfortunate not to have a larger crowd (who were all watching The Australian Pink Floyd – where is the justice in this world?!). The band were playing two shows at Great Escape. The second would be the following day at Digital but I chose to see them at the Sallis Benney Theatre, a venue that in hindsight was a good choice.
The band played a set that was, like Guilfest, mostly made of material from last year’s Do You Like Rock Music? and their 2003 breakthrough The Decline Of British Sea Power. Songs old and new both fitted well in the setlist and with the crowd who sung back every word at their hometown heroes (the band are based in Brighton). Songs like No Lucifer, Atom and Fear Of Drowning were real standouts as the band, this time dressed in normal clothes as opposed to their dressing up at Guilfest, performed effortlessly on a stage strewn with tree branches.
The real fun however came at the end of the gig. As the band rocked out, their guitarist, Noble, stopped playing and crowdsurfed twice (even standing on the shoulders of one surprised attendee) before handing out tree branches to the crowd. My pictures on the night don’t really do it justice but all you could see was a sea of people waving tree branches in front of the stage. It was a fantastic sight to behold and one of my many standout memories from the festival. More importantly, I have finally seen a gig by British Sea Power with more than 10 people watching. Phew.
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Posted on May 20th, 2009 by Max
Filed under: Gigs, Reviews, The Great Escape 2009
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