With its chandeliers, ornate balcony, and perfect acoustics, Aberdeen Music Hall is a venue fit for Kings and Queens. Thankfully, Bombay Bicycle Club have the musical ambition to match this setting, and the fact they’ve brought their own mini-indie orchestra along with them helps complete this grandiose picture.
Warming up the night are two acts: the newly-formed Flyte, and singer/ songwriter Rae Morris, who performs with her band. Flyte are an energetic bunch of chaps, dressed in matching brown belts + tucked in T-shirts (I think they are stealing the way my Dad rocks his look…), but the synergy in the band goes a lot further than just fashion. Their vocal harmonies are absolutely spot on, making them come across like a more tropical Beach Boys… if the Beach Boys liked the occasional EuroDisco beat and Vampire Weekend-style jangle.
Rae Morris on the other hand is a much less sun-shiney affair. Her set swells and broods into a thunderstorm of loud drums, loud Florence + the Machine-esque vocals and loud e-bowed guitar. Although her vocal range and the musicianship of her and her band are very impressive, there is one problem… Once the thunderstorm of noise and emotion peaked, it stayed there. There was no escaping it. She pummelled us all with freakishly loud and consistent emotion.
A band unafraid of dynamics however, are tonight’s headliners, Bombay Bicycle Club. Their set is so diverse and varied it’s like a year in the band’s life, the seasons evolving as each song is played. They kick things off with total confidence, gradually moving from rockier tracks to a brass fan-fare that feels like the height of spring. With gorgeously-plucked guitar and driving drums, the songs take on a pagan groove; like environmental worship music for the 21st century.
Later on, they drop these hippie flourishes and play some rawer songs: all jagged bass and powerful, distorted solos. This then collapses naturally into a few more autumnal songs with sweeter lyrics full of thought and longing. It’s an incredible journey they take the audience on, even stopping by on some gap year-inspired Asian guitar riffs, and some wintry ballads that feature stunning visuals projected behind the band.
Near the end of their set, the crowd lap up a harvest of popular and positive tracks, all delivered with a true celebratory feel from the band. I said earlier the set feels like a year in the band’s life; but it’s probably more accurate to say there is a decade’s worth of experiences on display here, presented in the most fun, interesting, and enriching way. Here’s to many more decades of great music from Bombay Bicycle Club!