Just as The Pavilion Theatre staged The Maccabees first sold out show in Brighton all those years ago, on this February evening another Brighton born band of great acclaim played their maiden homecoming, Esben & The Witch. Last year was huge for this trio and 2011 has begun at the same pace, with a tour to promote the release of their debut album on Matador Records, ‘Violet Cries’, Released on January 31.
Tonight is the day after. The crowd, aligned by ‘Hind Ear’ and ‘Trophy Wife’ in support, haven’t seen the trio; Rachel Davies, Daniel Copeman and Thomas Fischer, play Brighton for over a year and are forced to wait even longer, looking onto the Victorian street lamps that frame the empty smoke-filled stage. When the local kids-done-good appear, to a massive cheer from a visibly appreciative crowd, they are already in role, silencing the room with the first characteristic hollow tone – the sort that makes your kidneys tickle.
They immediately enchant us and it soon becomes clear that we are set to see a true ‘performance’ tonight. The lead woman conducts at the centre of stage, her drum sticks beat and break, holding together what can only be described as a cloud of sound that overwhelms with the erupting opener ‘Argyria’, with wailing ‘strange metallic voices’ between the rolling low drone of Copeman and Fischer’s guitars. They rock, not in the surfer dude sense but literally, back and forth, as if overdosing on their own design.
This can be deemed as arty or whatever but it is this extreme performing that feeds the atmosphere. You have to give yourself up to their world because that is what it is, pure escapism. Samples overlay and mic stands fall over as the set feeds from one track to the next at an untraceable pace. Davies voice has been related to Siouxsie Sioux, among others, but it is more than the heart wrenching pleas in her voice, she commands the stage and crowd, already appearing to revel in this role, modestly and indifferent. Is it gothic? Surely not, Goths are silly… aren’t they? Whatever it is, it’s certainly something other than lighting rigs and a tad too much reverb. With the brilliant ‘Marching Song,’ signs of a band with real longevity are announced. Not a hit or two but a new living personality in British music.
Esben and the Witch, Trophy Wife, Hind Ear
Pavilion Theatre
1st February 2011
Words by Tom Sargeant
Photos by Oleg Pulemjotov
