The effortlessly strange music of Leeds trio alt-J was revelatory this weekend past, as the band played their biggest headline gig to date at London’s O2 Arena. Curious to see how their diverse offerings would fare in an arena setting, I sat eagerly in my seat with unease. Sure, ‘Tessalate’ and ‘Breezeblocks’ were bound to get the crowd roaring regardless of tone, but I had doubts songs such as ‘Matilda’ and ‘Bloodflood’ would suit this spacious venue – sold out to capacity. Inevitably, any doubts were washed away by the time the second song in their familiar, momentous set was kicked into motion.
Beforehand, alt-J had support from two stellar acts; Wolf Alice and Gengahr, both unusually rock-based acts for an indie / alternative headliner. Gengahr provided guitar work that ranged from the delicate to the screeching, with a tight, melodic set that was unfortunately hindered by the vocalist’s incomprehensible falsetto that suffers outside of a studio environment (or just on enormous speakers). Known songs ‘Fill My Gums with Blood’, ‘She’s a Witch’ and ‘Powder’ were clear highlights, but Gengahr are certainly better suited to an intimate environment, instead of the imposing enormity of the O2 Arena.
One band that seemed perfectly at home on this particular stage were Wolf Alice, who breezed through an explosive, overclocked set that saw the North London band unveil their staggering potential. Despite some cheesily choreographed swaying, ‘Giant Peach’ was an excellent standout and a perfect example of a song that belongs in a live setting, and just won’t wield the same edge as a studio recording. In fact, their support set was brimming with enough confidence and command that a future O2 Arena headline slot for themselves doesn’t seem like a ludicrous possibility at all.
Alt-J took to the stage to the pulsating beat of ‘Hunger of the Pine’, stage lights flickering in time. From the onset, the lighting setup is fantastic, a multitude of colors to accompany the liquid aesthetics of each song played. The ascension of opener ‘Hunger of the Pine’ was effective, but the ball truly started rolling on the following ‘Fitzpleasure’, an instant crowd-pleaser with buzzing synths and sharp, crisp drumming – a strong highlight of the sound production through much of the set, giving the quieter songs a fiery bombast.
The chimes of ‘Bloodflood’ and warped folk of ‘Something Good’ played against the desert western blues of ‘Left Hand Free’ and distorted guitar of ‘Taro’ (another superb moment). Alt-J provide a wildly exotic selection that flows and erupts, strung together by chanting interludes and angelic harmonies. From a wider perspective, An Awesome Wave drew a better response than This Is All Yours as expected, with the latter a contrasting mix of heavy hitters versus washed out brooders. For a landmark gig, the band did provide a few rarities; ‘Leon’, from their past incarnation Films made an appearance, as well as their cover of Bill Withers’ ‘Lovely Day’.
The entrancing ‘Breezeblocks’ brought their encore to a close, trading brash sensationalism for a satisfying closer. Alt-J have proved that they can command the thousands with their eccentric blend of vivid melodies drawing sing-alongs and synchronized swaying alike. Just two albums into their career, it’s exciting to imagine the venues they’ll be paying a visit to later down the line.
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