03 October 2024 (gig)
4 h
Real Estate bring their melodic soundscapes to Hackney Church.
The band play at St John’s in East London on Thursday, 3rd October, eight months after the release of their sixth album, Daniel. They are supported by Far Caspian.
Picture a stunning church decked out in white and gold—only white and gold. In fact, even the speakers are painted white, hanging above the stage like expectant musical notes. And then, imagine that all that white and gold is up-lit in neon lilac.
The stage looks like it’s set for an R. Kelly or Prince show in mid-’90s Memphis. Instead, it’s 2024 in Clapton, and six white lads in hipster West Coast workwear walk on and take their positions. It works—it doesn’t feel the slightest bit strange. Welcome to Hackney, lads.
From the first notes, the crowd falls under Far Caspian’s spell, gazing up and swaying to the textured soundscape being woven in front of them. This reviewer is reminded of Interpol in the precision and construction of the music, and Idlewild for their guitar-drenched soulfulness. The performance is stunning, though slightly let down by singer Joel Johnston’s voice being inaudibly low in the mix for most of the songs, which speaks volumes about the band's instrumental prowess.
At the end, Johnston thanks the crowd and pays tribute to the headliners, Real Estate. The first song he ever learned to play on guitar, he says, was one of theirs.
When Real Estate appear, the church floor and balconies are quite full, as the gig is a sellout. There’s still a nice amount of space in the venue, though, which is appreciated.
Singer Martin Courtney starts off wielding an acoustic guitar, while Julian Lynch brandishes a red Gibson SG. The band plays a mixture of old favorites and tracks from their latest album, kicking off with Somebody New.
They are flawlessly tight and pitch-perfect, with Alex Bleeker and Sammi Niss anchoring the sound. Their rhythm section lays deep, dynamic foundations—a swirling ground over which the band's melodies soar.
After the first track, bassist Alex Bleeker’s voice calls through a wall of violet fog, asking for the smoke machine to be dialed down a bit. Fair enough.
Lynch’s guitar parts are tasteful, his solos pared back, with barely a note wasted. Keyboardist Matt Kallman colors the sound masterfully from the back of the stage, his shadow cast in the corner of the church like Quasimodo stooping over a religious artifact.
Although Sammi Niss doesn’t seem to have an earpiece for timekeeping, her drums are rock steady and unfaltering. We are clearly watching a band that has played together thousands of times, performing for an audience that has listened to them just as many.
The venue is so reverently atmospheric that it might be a difficult space for some bands to fill. But both Real Estate and Far Caspian more than fill it with their expansive, heartfelt songs.
