Low live review
A criticism frequently levelled at Low is that their songs all sound the same, and the theory is leant credence tonight when the band begin one song, only to stop 30 seconds later to agree on which one it is they’re actually playing. Another is that they’re a bunch of miserable bastards who are to light-heartedness what Alanis Morrissette is to irony. However, their laughter at one another following the song mix-up suggests otherwise, and subsequent self-deprecating remarks hint at a refreshing self-awareness: when singer/guitarist Alan Sparhawk begins a tangential rant about the deficits of digital mixing desks, his wife and singer/drummer Mimi Parker softly suggests he “get on with it”, and suddenly you can picture the pair doing the washing up together in the Low family kitchen, bickering lovingly.
The bonhomie peaks during the encore when, prompted by a heckle, Sparkhawk performs a song he contributed to a little-known children’s record. Be Nice to People with Lice, sung in the traditionally solemn Low style, is a tragicomic tale of a schoolyard bout of nits (sample lyric: “someday you might get lice too/your friends will run away from you”), and ends any speculation about the band’s sense of humour.
Thankfully, the breeziness does not detract from the spine-tingling beauty that Low produce when they’re performing their material. Their minimalism is amplified by the hallowed hush that the Union Chapel frequently bestows upon its audience, and occasional Biblical references are made even more poignant by the surroundings. The church acoustics also do wonders for the couple’s exquisite harmonies, and the most compelling moments come when these soar above Sparhawk’s guitar at its most fierce.
It may be difficult to refute that 8 out of 10 Low songs are performed at the same glacial pace with the same funereal mood, but when it’s done with this amount of grace, it’s also hard to begrudge them a little happiness.
