Bon Iver

• Posted: Tue 22 Nov 2011
• By: Kev

I've not really followed the rapidly ascending star of Bon Iver too closely, apart from hearing the odd single and reading ever more fawning reviews, they have somehow just passed me by.

They would have done tonight as well if it wasn't for the fact that Kathleen Edwards was also on the bill, it might have been a sold out show for the headliners but I was here to see someone i've long admired (Failer, Back To Me and Asking For Flowers are all really good long players that i've played a lot) and who doesn't play over here often enough.

With my gig going experience though I should really have known better than to build up my expectations for tonight. It's a big venue and her delicate country folk sounds were always going to struggle to reach the audience, not helped by poor sound for once in a venue that is usually good on that front.

The final nail in the coffin though is that as the majority of people have never heard of her, or if they have aren't bothered about her, then she is involved a huge fight to be heard over the multitude of conversations that are taking place in the venue.

All of which is a shame as she's got some great lyrics and some nice arrangements that aren't done justice tonight thanks mainly to the environment rather than her performance, i'd like to see her live again, preferably though next time in a more intimate setting with more of an attentive crowd.

Bon Iver don't have that trouble of course, people have paid hard earned cash to see them, so eyes towards the stage and gobs shut throughtout, the vast majority of the crowd are completely wrapped up in their multi instrumental big folk sound.

In places it's quite impressive, they do create a huge sound when everything comes in together, but it's actually the sparser arrangements of the early material that wins the day for me, the newer stuff I just find a little dull if i'm honest, too hooked into the mechanics of the music than locking into the emotion behind the song.

Part of that for me comes down to Justin Vernon, as a frontman it takes him a few songs to actually speak to the crowd, his attempted banter in between is stilted and somewhat awkward, but that doesn't take away from the fact that he does have an excellent voice, one of the positives I would definitely give them.

So overall a bit of a disappointing night, i'll be back to see Kathleen Edwards some time in better surroundings, but my brief flirtation with Bon Iver is probably over in a live setting.