Wild Beasts, 12th May 2011, Wilton’s Music Hall, London
Written by EH   
Thursday, 02 June 2011 06:21
Hello strangers! Yet again I am falling short on the blog front which is very annoying as there is lots of brilliant music I'd like to write about. One of my favourite artists Beverley Knight is doing the rounds promoting her next tour and album and belting out some great performances and I've not even got round to writing a post about that - I hang my head in shame. But fear not, my lovely friend Rach has sent me another gig review, all hail Rach!

If you’ve seen the Harry Potter films, then you are well equipped to visualise the venue. In a sea of high rise buildings in the middle of Aldgate and accessed via what looks like Diagon Alley lies Wilton’s Music Hall, claimed to be the world’s oldest surviving Music Hall.

The Harry Potter similarities don’t end there. Enter the venue and you could be at Hogwarts, exposed and crumbling brickwork, high arched ceilings and old uneven wooden floors. Adorned with frescos and white fairy lights and church pews for seating, this is a truly amazing venue and as we arrived there was a buzz of excitement already building. The two-tiered hall only holds 400 people so we felt incredibly lucky not only to see the Wild Beasts perform in front of such a small crowd but also in such a wonderful and perfectly apt setting.

The music did not disappoint. Of course some of the old favourites made an appearance and indeed the crowd’s appreciation for tracks such as Hooting and Howling and All the King’s Men were obvious, but songs from the band’s new album Smother were equally well received, with the crowd following Hayden’s lead and swaying approvingly to the likes of Albatross and Lion’s Share.

The band seemed genuinely surprised by the crowd’s reaction and was openly grateful to the audience and for the chance to play this unique venue. No thanks required though - we were suitably rewarded with their haunting, atmospheric performance. With a glut of UK dates set for winter 2011, this is one band not to be missed.

Thanks again to Rach for sending me her review, I am envious of both your ability to squeeze some writing into your day and the fact that your going to so many gigs!


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