Belle and Sebastian @ TheForum, Melbourne (12/03/2011)

Wed 16th Mar, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Here for the fifth Golden Plains Festival, Scotland’s finest indie-pop band are greeted by a brimming Forum for the first of their two Melbourne sideshows. Opening with the decidedly punchy combination of I Didn’t See It Coming and Come On Sister from their latest effort Write About Love, Belle and Sebastian are in full swing tonight.

Augmented by a string quartet on a stage most bands usually struggle to fill out, there’s up to 13 people visible at any given moment- even more during The Boy With The Arab Strap. Step into My Office, Baby kicks things into gear as the first big song of the night, yet tonight Write About Love material is given the equally energetic reception that it deserves. Perhaps due in part to it’s tendency to favour groove-based pop, newer tracks like I Want The World To Stop set off as much head-bopping and dancing as older songs. Another case in point is I’m Not Living In The Real World, to which Stevie Jackson teaches the vocal opening. “That’s it. Oh, except it changes key three times. Ok, after four clicks from Richard Colburn, drummer] and in the key of C. Here we go!” Lesson #1 learnt: Belle & Sebastian songs are almost all primed singalongs- especially encore starter Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying and Piazza, New York Catcher.

Throughout the set, singer Stuart Murdoch demands attention in a way that could only be effective for himself; his slightly awkward yet hugely fun persona is infectious. Reminiscing about the last time he played at the Forum, Murdoch remembers the $10,000 fine he received after climbing onto one of the statues that decorate the apparently paper thin areas either side of the stage. Introducing We Rule The School, Murdoch “doesn’t mean to bring the mood down” in offering his condolences to Japan in their earthquake/tsunami crisis, before letting the captivated crowd in on some band tips. “Belle and Sebastian mistake #1: funny effect on piano.” Lessons #2 and #3 learnt: don’t climb around the Forum; Murdoch can be sensitive (like the tone of some of his band’s songs suggest) and can entertain a crowd single-handedly.

Yet it seems lesson two is lost on Murdoch, who disappears side of stage at one point, only to appear scaling the upper reaches of the Forum yet again. Murdoch’s stage (and upper Forum walls) presence is impressively demanding given the string quartet and an eight-piece band he shares the stage with. More delicate moments like the aforementioned We Rule The School, which Murdoch sings from the raised piano stand, highlight the quality and integral part of the string section. Other, more up-beat numbers showcase the fantastic light show which illuminates the huge rotating assembly of people on stage. Lesson #4: Belle & Sebastian’s live show is an all out, no-holds-barred affair.

For all of this though, it all comes off as somewhat rehearsed and calculated. The potential for mayhem is present during the now-customary stage invasion during The Boy With the Arab Strap, but it’s all controlled and capped at 6 people. There’s a selection of songs listed as possibilities for the encore, including one at the top of many vocal punters’ wishlist, I’m A Cuckoo, but eventually The Blues Are Still Blue, the band’s only single to chart in Australia, wraps up the two-song encore. Yet, as with any B&S gig, it’s the unexpected inclusions that the gig will be remembered for.

Tonight, the most memorable song inclusion isn’t even one of their own; The Kinks’ Victoria prompting perhaps the biggest singalong (albeit a single word scream) of the set. Certainly not a reflection on the popularity of the band and their songs, this perfectly chosen cover is instead proof of their knowledge and understanding of how to put on a great live show.

With a full house left wanting more after a near two hour set, it’s here that lesson #5 is learnt. After fifteen years, Belle and Sebastian have a plenthora of songs to delight their adoring masses with. Tonight’s show may be totally rehearsed and planned, but it’s a big production show, and its deliberateness is at no sacrifice (in fact, it’s the opposite) of quality and enjoyment. Two hours may not be enough to satisfy all fans, but the band give Melbourne a lesson in how to put on a great live show.