GIG: BON IVER

 



Review by Jon Birch

Bon Iver live at the Manchester MEN Arena - 09.11.2012

Bon Iver initially came to prominence with their debut album For Emma, Forever Ago. The recording process of that first record is well documented but what came from it is a collection of songs that are intimate and haunting and both intricate and beautifully simple at the same time. I was lucky enough to see the band play Manchester Academy 2 in 2009 and I have never been in a room full of people so transfixed by what was taking place on stage. It remains one of my favourite live music experiences.

My initial reaction therefore when I heard that Bon Iver were to embark on an arena tour was one of surprise, followed by an intrigue as to how their music would come across in a larger venue.

Bon Iver arrive on stage in darkness, the gentle string arrangement of Perth (the opening track to the second album, Bon Iver) sounds out and the spotlight shines down for the first time on Justin Vernon. With his messy hair and unkempt beard, he still looks every inch the lost soul who sought solace in the Wisconsin Woodlands.

The full band on stage, including Vernon, total nine members and musically they are fantastic. The songs are ramped up and along with a blazing light show, fill the arena.

It does sometimes feel that with all this going on, the original beauty of some of the songs is lost. During Creature Fear for instance, the music builds to a huge crescendo. When watching at the Academy show, there were four musicians on stage. The finale to the song was played with two guitars, one drum kit and a keyboard. The result had the whole room mesmerised. At the Arena show the same part was played by the full band including 2 drum kits, a saxophone and a trumpet. It didn’t sound bad, just unnecessary. When a song works so well in a simple form why over complicate?

That’s not to say there weren’t high points. Blood Bank, from the EP of the same name was fantastically well done and Beth/Rest, the second album closer was clearly written to be played in venues of this size. It’s maybe telling that the two songs saved for the encore were perhaps the closest Bon Iver have to sing-a-longs in Skinny Love and For Emma. As Justin Vernon said, ‘we want to leave you as happy as we can’.

To the question of whether Bon Iver’s music can translate to a larger venue? I think that it can. Does it need to, and does it add anything to the music? Not for me.