Liars/Deerhunter at Koko London, June 17th 2008

Due to rubbish trains and an achingly long journey into London, I missed High Places opening set, to which I am regretful. I had heard little bits of praise for them in the run up to the show, and will labour to give them my full attention in the future. More disappointingly, I arrived at the venue and was greeted by the familiar sound of pounding drums and paranoid guitars bathed in lush ambience. Yes, Deerhunter had already got started. Entering the stage arena I was unable to enjoy the band as much as I would have wished- I was taken aback by the hurriedness of my travel and the reallisation that the band I had travelled for a number of hours to see had already set sail. Judging by the performance on the night, the abrasive, chaotic shows previously associated with the band had been left behind. None of the band was particularly mobile; it was similarly mellow to Atlas Sound's earleir show at the same venue. The foursome alternated between Cryptograms and their recent Microcastles. Personally, I would have preffered more material from Cryptograms, especially the second half with the pulsating, chaotic Krautrock-like rhythms of Heatherwood and Spring Hall Convert. Microcastles has more in common with Atlas Sound- a relaxed, introspective affair that is a pleasant, but inferior listen. There were moments though, that the warm, dreamlike songs progressed into clattering, lush crescendos that were pure joy.

Could the final act trump the opener yet again, as Animal Collective did so not yet a month ago? Why, yes, of course. Liars were superb. The few records I 'd set my ears upon them left me unsatisfied. Unlike AC, who were frequently gorgeous on record but utimately left me wanting, Liars were a much more difficult proposition. Yelping, pounding tribalistic drums, and raw guitars- it was hard for me to get into. LIve though, it all made sense. Entering the stage wearing a blue schoolboy blazer and white sailors trousers, Angus Andrew was he undisputable star of the show. Never have I seen such a compelling magnetic performer. As the band started playing, Angus looked menacingly out into the crowd underneath a batch of wild hair. Swaying, swinging, jumping around the stage like a force of nature, you could not take your eyes off of him. The drums were loud and pounding, the guitars were sinister and cutting, and Angus was howling and murmuring like a wild man. It was entrancing.