Sleepmakeswaves and Tides From Nebula at The Exchange - Bristol gig review
Posted on: 2015-03-20
Our rating:
Sleepmakeswaves clearly take their music seriously, but allow themselves to have some fun with it. The added bonus of a dancing guitarist is just one of the perks you get for splashing out a meagre £12 per ticket. Well worth it.
Australian post-rockers sleepmakeswaves gave a sensational set that bordered on perfection, leaving a dedicated fan base fully satisfied.
Bristol welcomed sleepmakeswaves with open arms on Thursday 19th March. Their sound sits comfortably alongside a host of other groups that have recently played at similar venues, and would be at home at Bristol’s famous math-rock and post-rock festival, ArcTanGent. For a few years now, Bristol has been the UK hub of post-rock, encouraging and putting on shows that pay homage to this incredibly technical genre of music. Sleepmakeswaves, along with the incredible other bands on offer on Thursday, gave everyone a reason to headbang, with their sweeping, ethereal sounds and heavy repeating riffs.
Tides From Nebula opened up the night with a flawless set crafted from their emotive and all-absorbing sound. The band were charming in person, enthusiastically thanking the audience after every single song, and performed with passion and energy throughout. A reasonably calm crowd soon erupted into contemplative head-bobbing, turning occasionally to whisper “good aren’t they?” to a mate. This kind of exposure does a band good, and I was certainly enamoured with Tides From Nebula by the end of their set.
Sleepmakeswaves came on next, and launched almost immediately into their first three songs. It was like a tide had swept over the audience – the ambient intros and progressively dark build-ups saw several people around me closing their eyes and swaying as if in some sort of sonic trance, and the never-failing crescendos that define sleepmakeswaves felt like a punch to the face. Albeit a pleasant one.
The band released Love of Cartography last year, and shot to niche fame in the post-rock and alternative circuit, from this performance it is easy to see why. The sound they create sweeps over the audience in such a dramatic fashion that each song seems to melt into the next. The result is what felt like a 45 minute wall of sound that both erupted and soothed – leaping gracefully from impassioned and energetic riffing to slow and tempered strumming, moulding the music around an already thick atmosphere of apprehension and appreciation.
The audience reception was immensely positive, even when a technical hitch meant a song had to be postponed for a moment, the band saved it with the suggestion of an impromptu Q & A session, keeping everyone in good humour. There were cheers, enthusiastic headbanging and a call of “you should play at ArcTanGent!” from the surrounding fans, proving that sleepmakeswaves fanbase stretches across the other side of the earth.
Sleepmakeswaves clearly take their music seriously, but allow themselves to have some fun with it. This successful mix means that the rapport between band and audience is comfortable and well-maintained, and that the music itself absolutely blasts you away. Their sound is near-perfect when performed live, and the added bonus of a dancing guitarist is just one of the perks you get for splashing out a meagre £12 per ticket. Well worth it.
4/5
Reviewed by Miri Teixeira for 365Bristol - the leading events and entertainment website for Bristol
Gig on 19 March 2015 at Exchange, Bristol.
Article by:
Born and raised in the suburbs of Swansea, Jimmy moved to Bristol back in 2004 to attend university. Passionate about live music, sport, science and nature, he can usually be found walking his cocker spaniel Baxter at any number of green spots around the city. Call James on 078 9999 3534 or email Editor@365Bristol.com.
