During Coldplay’s lengthy hiatus to record ‘X & Y’ there emerged a slew of bands that, if we’re being charitable, felt inspired enough by ‘A Rush Of Blood To The Head’s potent blend of pianos, yearning vocals and communal choruses to get out and make their own music. Though if we’re being cynical, record companies saw a gap in the market and thought “Money, we like it’s smell…” So you had the likes of Thirteen Senses (vaguely political, zero record sales!), Keane (look, no guitars!) and Embrace (Martin who?!), all vying for the coveted ‘Music for BBC Sport Highlights’ slot. And there, somewhere in the middle, were arguably the most, er, interesting of the lot: Snow Patrol. Perennial indie-underachievers with a neat line in quirky, lovably scruffed albums one minute; the nation’s favourite new lighters-aloft band the next, they’ve had a remarkable last few years by anyone’s standards. Their long-awaited comeback begins tonight.

 

First though there’s the small matter of Delaware six-piece The Spinto Band. Having not even been aware that there was a support band tonight, their appearance is as revelatory as the end of ‘The Usual Suspects’ and as welcome as an early, over-sized paycheck (note: we still don’t understand that film, and our wages are peanuts). Sounding like Weezer’s ‘Blue Album’ had it been recorded by six lovestruck, instrument-swapping siblings (there are two sets of brothers in the band) with a habit of dancing like the extras from ‘Team America’, The Spinto Band are, along with the new Flaming Lips album being played over the P.A tonight, one of the best things we’ve heard all year, and come so so close to stealing the show. If we were in a band this good, every day of our lives would be better than the last.

 

“What an amazing place to play. It’s like a cake, but with people. And not married people!” Gary Lightbody doesn’t do coherent. Having been locked away for nearly a year recording must have taken its toll in many ways on the Snow Patrol frontman, but affected his loveable, baffling stage persona it has not. From the top of KOKO however the crowd looks disappointingly static, arms folded and nodding their heads as if, nearly two years down the line, they’re all here to still just hear THAT one song. But look closer and there are friends holding each other tightly and jumping, pockets of people all over the venue wide-grinned and euphoric. Snow Patrol are just that sort of band; uniting, irresistible yet quietly intimate.

 

An opening duo of ‘Wow’ and ‘Chocolate’ are perfect reminders as to what we’ve missed, while the new songs, ostensibly the reason we’re here, sound massive, and almost U.S power-pop like in their radio-friendly, widescreen glory (one song even reminds us of the Goo Goo Dolls, seriously). Yes they’re predictable, but damn they work: the final chorus to ‘Hands Open’ peaks just where it should, the glorious ‘Chasing Cars’ (the track that will push the forthcoming ‘Eyes Open’ into the stratosphere) is ridiculously climatic and new single/anthem-in-waiting ‘You’re All I Have’ makes so much more sense when being sung back at the band by a roomful of people then it’s, frankly rubbish, video ever could. There’s enough evidence here to suggest that Snow Patrol haven’t lost their touch, that ‘Eyes Open’ will be a mainstream triumph.

 

And then like, well, a particularly great cake (the biscuit base on cheesecake perhaps?), they leave the best bit till last, pulling out debut single ‘Starfighter Pilot’ (now nearly ten years old) to draw everything back into context. It’s been a long road for Snow Patrol, and now that they’ve finally got to this point, where their songs are quite rightly cherished by the thousands they deserve, they aren’t about to lose their way. That stuff about Snow Patrol merely filling a gap simply no longer applies.

 

 

Source: http://www.gigwise.com

*sob* i wish they had played starfighter pilot at their new york gig.