LIVE REVIEW: Poets of the Fall @ Thekla, Bristol
Given the status that the UK has on music as a whole across the world, it’s a rare sight to have it as the very opening leg to a world tour, least of all starting in Bristol where there are far more glamorous locations around the country. Nevertheless, it’s where POETS OF THE FALL have chosen to undertake just their third leg of shows in the country since their inception fifteen years ago and as doors loom the line outside Thekla grows ever longer, a mix of younger and older punters showcasing the wide pulling power the Finnish outfit have at their disposal.
For opening act BLACKOUT PROBLEMS, tonight is a monumental show for them; it’s their debut UK appearance and, just to add an extra sparkle, they’re playing it on a boat. Venues won’t always be this novel; the Germans’ alt-rock is anything but, certain to delight fans of MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, BIFFY CLYRO and present day ENTER SHIKARI. They have a stupidly small amount of space to play with, so vocalist Mario Radetzky makes an immediate impact by standing astride the stage and the barrier, then jumping into the audience within the time it takes them to finish opening song KAOS. Four songs from the album of the same name are aired and all are solid tracks that show the band’s potential well, warmly appreciated by the Thekla crowd. “We heard UK fans don’t like support bands” laughs Mario before loudly shouting “bollocks” to the suggestion as BLACKOUT PROBLEMS close with Off/On; it’s clear that the last thing Bristol thinks of them is negative.
Rating: 7/10
So, first night of the tour, first UK show for over eighteen months and, for five of the tracks in the POETS OF THE FALL set, a first performance in a live setting beckons. The new material from Ultraviolet translates far better live than it does on record, with the likes of False Kings and My Dark Disquiet sounding absolutely massive whilst Standstill sees the band activate their lesser known ‘boyband mode’ as four of them take to stools and bring the pace down a few notches but – importantly – never the momentum. Even more impressive is that, for a record that’s not even been out a week, a large number of the fans are singing every single word back at them which helps ramp up the enjoyment of tonight’s show even more.
Naturally, it’s the more well-known tracks that garner the loudest cheers, from the power of Dreaming Wide Awake to a thumping rendition of Brighter Than the Sun and a disco lighting-inspired run through of Daze, but POETS OF THE FALL are so consistent with their live shows that it won’t be long before all seventeen played are fan favourites. They don’t slouch on the encore either: five songs long and another two debuts in the shape of The Sweet Escape and Choir of Cicadas taking their place with Locking up the Sun and the wondrous pair of Lift and Carnival of Rust. It’s definitely a bold move to come to these shores at the very start of a tour, but tonight POETS OF THE FALL made it look like a walk in the park.
Rating: 8/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Bristol from Serena Hill Photography here:
