A smaller than expected audience sparsely populates the O2 ABC in Glasgow tonight, most likely a result of the recent heavy snowfall rather than Athlete’s waning popularity.
Pott congratulates the crowd for attending and is met with the reply “Mon’ the wellies!” What begins as humorous performer-audience banter descends in tone throughout the gig with a clearly inebriated man interrupting Pott’s comments between songs in a loud and annoying manner. Sadly, this detracts from the atmosphere that Athlete attempt to create. Pott handles it fairly well, though, and never loses his cool.
Athlete play through material from their latest album Black Swan and some old favourites. Audience participation is encouraged and singalongs and clapping ensue. The front half of the crowd sway happily through a set of inoffensive pop in the vein of Coldplay/Keane/Snow Patrol/Travis, but the rest of the venue emanates a subdued vibe that is doubtlessly caused, at least in part, by close to sub-zero temperatures in the venue. Hats, scarves and jackets are left on to make up for the lack of bodies.
The on-stage set up is interesting with a set of mega-bright, audience facing lights resembling satellite dishes. These illuminate at what I assume are key moments in the performance, but in all honesty, the set struggles to elicit any significant emotional response at any point.
Athlete do have some genuinely interesting moments of melody and synth accompaniment, but several elements are working against them tonight and the gig doesn’t quite deliver on a visual, auditory or emotional level.
Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.