thu 28/03/2024

The National, Brixton Academy | reviews, news & interviews

The National, Brixton Academy

The National, Brixton Academy

Lead singer is out of sorts in a show that smoulders but never catches fire

I spent a long time waiting for this gig to take off, but eventually realised that it wasn’t going to happen. To begin with I thought the band were just pacing themselves, playing a slow-burning set that would eventually explode into life, opening with the modest thrum of “The Runaway”, and following it with the similarly restrained “Anyone’s Ghost” and “Mistaken for Strangers”. But in the end, although The National moved up through the gears and finished the show with a big warm finale, still, it all seemed a bit flat.

The chief problem from what I could discern was that singer Matt Berninger was out of sorts. Repeatedly between songs he gestured at the sound engineers at the side of the stage, or walked off looking agitated to converse with them; he seemed to be having problems with the sound levels in his monitors. He was distracted, he bickered with his bandmates and constantly interrupted them.

matt-berninger_M_jpg_627x325_crop_upscale_q85As the show progressed the tension between band members – or rather between Berninger (pictured right) and the rest of the band - became palpable, and it wasn’t the kind of tension that fuels a performance. Berninger is a singer who feeds off the energy of his bandmates, and they in turn need something from him; here, that symbiosis was lacking. With nothing to fuel him, Berninger looked lost; and without their talisman, they too were all at sea. All of which was a shame because having seen their storming, swirling set at Latitude in the summer I was relishing the chance to see them do the same again – there was a sense of drama in that performance that bordered on hysteria.

Indeed, Latitude was my first live experience of a band who have been around for more than a decade. Cincinatti-born and Brooklyn-based, The National make music that resonates powerfully with the current 1980s vibe: the doomy baritone voice of Berninger, reminiscent of Joy Division’s Ian Curtis; thumpy-jumpy drums on which tom-toms rather than the snare are prominent; a mood of sombre introspection. It’s music that creeps up on you rather than grabbing you by the throat, and on stage at its best it has a sort of dark magnificence, enhanced by the often cryptic and impressionistic lyrics such as those in "Bloodbuzz Ohio", from their recent High Violet album: “I was carried to Ohio in a swarm of bees”.

Here, though, the darkness wasn’t dark enough, and Berninger just seemed sulky rather than impassioned. I guess it must be hard to deliver the kind of half-demented performance he’s capable of giving, night after night; and while it’s a shame that those who had paid good money for their tickets should have had to experience a below-par performance, it’s surely preferable this way than to have a band of automatons, cranking out the same show, on demand.

Anyway, if I’m making this all sound like some kind of disaster, it wasn’t. They played well enough, Berninger’s voice was fine (though he drifted a little off key in “Conversation 16”, perhaps as a result of his monitoring difficulties), and there was a constant stream of distractingly jittery images projected on the screen behind them.

Towards the end Berninger went walkabout, trailing his extraordinarily long microphone lead behind him as he ploughed through the crowd, this way and that, like a dog in long grass. It seemed to galvanise him, and the next song, "Terrible Love", was resultingly impressive. Finally there was a wholly acoustic, entirely unamplified rendition of “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks”; a song of absolute quietness got the biggest cheer of the night, and the show ended on a high note. But I have no doubt that strong words were spoken in the band’s dressing room afterwards.

Watch The National's "Bloodbuzz Ohio" video:

Comments

I was at the gig last night, and I'm afraid I have to disagree with the review. Yes, Berninger did go walkabout between songs, but this didn't detract from a fantastic performance, and added to the banter with his bandmates. They made the Academy feel like a very small and intimate venue, and I loved every minute of it!

There was no inter-band bickering, they ALWAYS banter with each other like that! Even Bryce Dessner pointed out that they were joking and they don't really hate each other. If anything, the flat atmosphere was the fault of the crowd. I've never seen such a sea of blank faces during songs like Abel and Mr November.

You have no idea what you're talking about reviewer. Which gig were you at? This was the best gig I've seen this year, by a long way. Quite brilliant.

Which gig were you at??? Brilliant from start to finish.

I was at this gig and I absolutely agree with all the comments so far. Brilliant, loved every minute of it, and everyone around me seemed to be having a great time too!

Was the reviewer at the some concert as the rest of us? This was without doubt one of the best performances I have seen in some time (certainly this year). Tension between bandmates? Really? I was at the very front and I didn't notice any of this. I mean, they were joking with each other but as another commentator quite rightly pointed out, they always do. All in all it was a fantastic gig and a nice crowd.

wtf were you watching?

Got to agree with the rest of the comments left here - this was the best gig i've been to in a long time, i don't know what the reviewer is on about. The reviewer has also made way too much of the "tension" between bandmates, which was never anything more than good-natured banter, and certainly didn't lower the standard of performance, which was of the very highest quality.

what was the name of the opening act???

clearly the reveiwer is slightly bonkers (no offence) and a wee bit sensitive, the banter between the band added to the intimate feeling and the whole show was electric. Berninger did seem alittle distracted with something in the wings but that settled down after first couple of songs. I haven't seen so many smiling faces after leaving a gig in a long time

I didn't even have to go to the show to agree with the reviewer. The show sounds the exact same as The National show in Toronto two years ago. I've been to hundreds of concerts and that one almost put me to sleep!

Just to back up the comments of others here i saw these guys at the Acadamy Manchester. It was a privilege to see such talent perform again. I saw them at Latitude and decided to pay a fortune on ebay tickets for the MCR do. One of the best nights ever, a week later in the midst of the winter freeze my other wise cold heart is warm and still racing.

Mr Reviewer, this is how your review should have sounded: http://www.musicomh.com/music/gigs/national-4_1110.htm

I totally agree with your review. I was at the 29 November concert (which is the one i assume you're reviewing, this review being dated the 30th) and my experience was the same as yours. It sounds as though we were just unlucky: reviews for the later nights seem much more positive. Having said that, as you yourself say, it wasn't an awful gig, just not the amazing night we might have hoped for.

I experienced a very different gig that night. Awesome. This pretty much reflects the night http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/the-nation...

Clearly it doesn't for everyone. Some of you people are so annoying, thinking that the truth lies elsewhere because those reviews agree with YOU.

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