Review: Willkommen Collective @ Union Chapel, London, 12.06.09

This is a guest post by Dominic Simpson, a freelance contributor to ArtRocker and others.

“The Willkommen Collective“. Photography: Rosie Reed Gold

The Union Chapel is a truly wondrous place. This huge Church on north London’s Upper Street is cavernous, visually stunning, and with a huge roof that stretches up as far as the eye can see. Candlelit, and kitted out with some bizarre props of various animals that gives the venue a slightly strange Wicker Man-type vibe, it’s certainly a unique atmosphere to play in. The Bull & Gate it isn’t. Somehow you suspect that the likes of Sum 41 or Bowling For Soup won’t be invited to play here.

Instead, the venue more often than not plays host to more refined acts, such as Low and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. And tonight’s bill of acts is perfectly suited to the reverb-heavy surroundings of this most special of London venues. The Willkommen Collective and record label are a mostly Brighton-based group of musicians who operate in a scene of related, actively gigging bands. In conjunction with promoters Arctic Circle, they’ve put on this night of acts, which kicks off promptly at seven with Rowan Coupland, acoustic guitar in hand, leading a choir of people rather bizarrely in a procession from the floor at the side of the stage and onto the stage itself, like something from a Nativity play.

Shoreline are better, with a folk-rock style reminiscent of vintage Fairport Convention, Nick Drake, and more recently, Adem and James Yorkston, embellished by strings and a double-bass.

Sweet Billy Pilgrim, meanwhile, are the only act on the bill that are not part of the Willkommen Collective, and therefore remain the odd one out. Then again, their hushed, stately set fits perfectly in the venue, with the band surrounded by blue smoke and candlelight, the Union Chapel’s acoustics working especially well with Alistair Hamer’s cavernous drum sound, which reverberates around the auditorium. The last song, involving only singer’s Tim Elsenburgh’s voice and a harmonium, is particularly spellbinding, a lament similar to Nico’s solo work or recent Current 93.

“The Willkommen Collective“. Photography: Rosie Reed Gold

They’re followed by the chamber-pop of Sons of Noel and Adrian, who feature a roughly re-gigged line-up from Shoreline, with a similar rotating pool of musicians. This time, though, a different frontman who previously took on backing vocals takes centre stage, banging his shoes on the floor in time to the music during the dramatic dynamics of the set, his throaty vocals belying his age. It’s particularly spellbinding on the sailing song “The Wreck Is Not the Boat”, with its lyrics of an old captain and his “aching limbs”, and the mesmerising finger-picking of “Indigo”, embellished with female backing vocals and sparse, pounding percussion. Their patchwork of folk-rock textures and swelling multi-chamber orchestration brings to mind Phosphorescent, Damon & Naomi and even the pastel reveries of Movietone, and climaxes with all members singing in unison. As ghostly images project on the walls of the venue, it’s a brilliant moment that caps the best act of the night, and one that – for all their traditional instrumentation – fit well in a current scene that venerates the likes of Devendra Barnhart, Grizzly Bear, and Joanna Newsom.

After that, The Leisure Society can’t quite emulate the success of the previous acts. A more straightforward indie-rock proposition than the rest of the night, they have the unenviable task of bounding onstage with only fifteen minutes to play, though the venue ultimately allows longer. Their songs in comparison don’t quite have the weight or substance, with the sound being drowned out by the venue’s acoustics rather than embracing the reverberation. Things perk up with a cover of Gary Numan’s “Cars”, though – one song that, somehow, you can never imagine hearing at the Union Chapel. And there is an encore with all acts except for Sweet Billy Pilgrim back onstage.

While the main area is closed, upstairs in the bar area, as people lounge on large sofas, a few members of Shoreline and Sons of Noel and Adrian – particularly the silent bearded violinists and cellists, who have been omnipresent all night – guest with The Miserable Rich on a small stage in the corner of the room. Their languid, Tindersticks-esque orchestral ghostly ballads are perfect in their intimacy after being exposed to such a huge main space. Full marks too for their note-for-note cover of Hot Chip’s “Over and Over”. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they’re all wearing suits.

The Laish Quartet, meanwhile, with a curly-haired Daniel Green keening away, follow them at midnight to a bedraggled audience and finish the evening with some simple folk-pop tunes and some beautiful female backing vocals. A final thank you from the band at the end to the faithful who stayed caps a triumphant evening, weird animal props and all. It’s nearly one in the morning when the last revelers stagger from the venue.

Photography by Rosie Reed Gold. Stream music at the Willkommen Collective Myspace and check willkommenrecords.co.uk for current news, tour dates and releases from the collective.

Posted in Events & Music & Reviews by Dominic Simpson on June 25, 2009.

Facebook This!   Tweet This!   Grab the Earz Mag RSS feed  

More Articles:

MP3: The Leisure Society - We Were Wasted DOWNLOAD MP3: The Leisure Society - We Were Wasted Although the track title might hint at some Young...

Outcrowd Collective Presents: The Joyful Bewilderment The Outcrowd Collective are putting on "The Joyful Bewilderment", an exhibition featuring over fifty...

CocoRosie: New Album & UK Dates Photo: Cocorosie, by Matt Green CocoRosie have announced details of a new album, Grey Oceans, which...

Madlib Invasion: 12 months, 12 albums from the Beat Konducta Stones Throw records have announced part two of hip-hop maverick Madlib's 12-albums project, Medicine...