17 October 2014 (gig)
25 October 2014
Maybeshewill
The Garage, London
added: 25 Oct 2014 // gig date: 17 Oct 2014
reviewer: Paul Chapinal [edit]
Maybeshewill - The Garage, London -
An important night for Maybeshewill performing the majority their new album and now looking to consolidate their both live and recording work with a view to moving up another rung of the ladder.
Supporting were Waking Aida and on this performance Aida is going to take some waking because while technically they are brilliant, its all a bit dreamy and drippy. No such problem with Flood of Red who have the songs and the stage presence to wake-up and keep-up anyone. Linkin Park-esque at times they are a band that we should be hearing a lot more from in the future. The trio &U&I are on pretty safe ground with their stop-start, Biffy stylings which means they lack any real identity at the moment.
The Garage sold out for this album launch and it was possible that instrumentalists Maybeshewill could have just played pot and pans and garnered an ecstatic reaction. As it happens they open with the beautiful, glittering In Amber from Fair Youth and proceed to put on a performance of outstanding technical musicianship and stage craft, that while complex, is always involving and never alienates the audience.
Not a full run through of the album as might be expected but a fair sprinkling and it serves to demonstrate how the band have evolved. Take the spiralling Red Paper Lanterns and how comfortably the lighter Fair Youth sits along side it.
Despite their proggy leanings, they can really rock out when they want as on To The Skies from a Hillside, having just played In the Blind complete with brass accompaniment. Having said that they end the main set with a colossal, thundering Not For Want of Trying, which never fails to move.
Watching Maybeshewill perform its evident that there’s real confidence about them at the moment. Their almost endless touring means that they are a tight as can be on stage, and with a fine new album to perform they really should be looking forward to the future.
