Live Review :: Vampire Weekend :: EartH, London - Mar 21 2019

Credit: wicked halo

Live

Vampire Weekend

EartH, London

March 21 2019

Words: Izzy Butler

Warming up for summer with a weekend of intimate shows, Vampire Weekend got the party started with their first live outing in the capital for six years with a trip to east London arts venue EartH. The post-Rostam Batmanglij, seven-piece touring line-up, preparing for the forthcoming release of new ‘Father Of The Bride’ album, give a little clue as to what the 18-track record may contain, with the inclusion of five songs from the new work, though the 22-song set is spread evenly across their four album catalogue.

They kick off the long set with the five-minute, upbeat piano groover ‘Harmony Hall’, its big refrain ringing to the rafters and setting the crowd off born the night. Frontman Ezra Koenig tells the room that they're “just getting back into the swing of things” as they carry on through fan favourites like the catchy 'Unbelievers' where they acknowledge that "the world is a cold, cold place to be", and 'White Sky', from their second album 'Contra', before coming up to date with another off the 2019 album, 'Sunflower', where the dual bass and guitar rule supreme, garnished with Brian Robert Jones' electric solo. The band have described the song as the "sibling of 'Flower Moon" - another new track, but not included tonight.

Both the album version of ‘2021’ is heard, followed by a piano rendition of the future-lookng number, with the latter rendering Koenig's voice to be manipulated on the chorus to an artificial cackle. The six song encore is led by the balladesque 'Big Blue', which makes its official live debut here. (It was first performed at a Lollapalooza after party in Chicago last August as an untitled new song.)

Three audience requests, the quickfire 'Finger Back', a woozy 'Everlasting Arms' and 'M79', from their 2008 debut album, follow, with a finale of their two emotive, artistic and confrontational songs, 'Worship You' and 'Ya Hey'. These bring to an end the close to two hour set that shows Vampire Weekend have lost none of their power to hold an audience, nor any of their creative aplomb.