If New York based Matthew Houck, aka Phosphorescent, is still building a name for himself in the UK then some seven years into his career under this alias he has got his break.
Anyone would be mad to turn down a support slot with the hottest US indie rock band to emerge in recent years, and while he and his four-piece band don’t quite have the same presence of the headliners they do more than justice for themselves.
Houck and co. are not set back at all by the massive crowd assembled to see The National and the audience in turn are comforted by the band’s ease. Houck clad in leather jacket and baseball cap looks remarkably relaxed in his groove as the rest of the band plough through some delightful alt-country.
New album, Here’s to Taking it Easy stand out ‘The Mermaid Parade’ brings their set to a rousing ending, surely capturing a few hundred new fans in the process. Look out for a headline show in the near future, as Houck and co. are hitting their stride some five albums into their career.
To say anyone here is not here to see The National would be a huge misconception the band have surpassed pretty much all their contemporaries and latest album High Violet’s No.5 charting just goes to show the attention they are receiving, not to mention the Academy was sold out months in advance.
Appearing in front a haunting black and white backdrop the band start up with the beautifully arranged, melodic ‘Runaway’ which gives the crowd their first taste of the powerful, heartfelt vocals of remarkably dapper dressed frontman Matt Berninger, who remains the main focal point for the rest of the set.
It is difficult to pick an early stand out, each and every track flows perfectly and injects something into as near a perfect indie rock show you will see. ‘Bloodbuzz Ohio’ sees the crowd swooning into a mass sing-along with every lyric lapped up while the slow building heartfelt anthem ‘Afraid of Everyone’ sees Berninger atop a pedestal screaming ”I don’t have the drugs to sort it out”.
The band aren’t afraid to chat to crowd either as they tell tales of their greatest low point when they stayed at the Glasgow Euro Hostel quickly followed by Berninger screaming “I’m evil” at the top of his lungs during a passionate performance of ‘Conversation 16’.
Despite the new album heavy set it is ‘Mr. November’ from 2005’s Alligator gains one of the most rousing receptions from the crowd and indeed from the band. Berninger launches himself into the crowd, ending up as far back as the sound desk shouting “I wont fuck us over I’m Mr. November” and still returning to the stage for more.
‘Terrible Love’ sees Berninger standing wonderfully profound above the crowd before the band bring the crowd down to a calm soothing sway with oldie ‘About Today’ that ends in a massive crescendo of pure euphoric sound.
As the band explain they are going to do something that they have only tried a few times, and most of those times it hasn’t worked, you can’t help but think “don’t ruin it” but also have that sheer optimistic feeling that at perfect shows like this nothing can possibly fail.
And it doesn’t fail better yet it proves the highlight of the night, as the entire band collect centre stage and take on a completly acoustic performance of ‘Vanderlyle Crybaby’. Berninger looks in his element as leads the crowd in a mass tearjerking sing-along climaxing in enthusiastic chants of “I’ll explain it all to the geeks”.
There isn’t really much more that needs to be said about The National, they fully deserve every ounce of praise and popularity they are receiving. Tonight is all the evidence needed to pin point an exact reason why they are fast becoming the world’s biggest indie rock band.
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