It's been about a year since I came across Nordic Giants - they were supporting God Is An Astronaut and Maybeshewill at Heaven and I stood there gobsmacked thinking to myself 'how on Earth have I not heard of those guys before?!' A year and 3 more gigs later, I entered The Lexington in London, a venue that brings back a lot of great gig memories, to see them yet again, this time releasing their long awaited EP and debuting new material on stage. I don't remember when was the last time the upstairs at The Lexington was sold out.
Before the Giants, Saturday Sun offered a stripped down, acoustic set that set the mood very well. I had the pleasure of seeing them in their full line up and I remember they reminded me of good surfer's rock, very chilled out and mellow, bringing back the best Incubus memories. They are worth checking out mainly because of their front man, Alex Hedley. You know when you see an indie band and they have their indie lyrics and some random guy who's trying to pretend he knows how to sing them and you're questioning their relevance whatsoever? Well, this is not the case with Saturday Sun. Alex Hedley not only has a great voice, but he also knows how to use it. He ranges from this beautiful, husky, full of despair tone to the Thom Yorke-esque highs. The highlights were 'I Want A Life For You' and both closing songs - 'Seagull' and 'Splash'. He also features on one Nordic Giants' track 'Violent Light' from the double EP Build Lights, Dismantle Suns, of which the first half has just been released and the second will follow shortly after.
And then it was time for Nordic Giants to take to the stage. The backdrop became a screen and their trade mark rectangular television appeared in the centre of the front of the stage, with a drum set on each side. The audience couldn't contain their excitement - this was the show that would unveil new material.
If you're a fan of putting your bands into drawers, my immediate description of Nordic Giants is 'somewhere between Sigur Rós and The Knife'. Sigur Rós because of their glacial melodies and the stellar guest vocal of Freyja. The Knife because of their stage presence - they appear dressed as feathered, rather gigantic looking creatures. However what sets them completely apart is the cinematic nature of their live performances and I urge everyone who's not seen them before to try and do so, but preferably in an intimate setting.
The aforementioned screens display videos by world's upcoming directors, hand picked for each of their songs. And the videos are as important as the songs themselves. Each of them tells a story, each in a completely different style: from various animations to live action short films. As a film buff, I couldn't wait to see what was new.
Nordic Giants opened with 'Drumfire' from their Build Seas EP and the whole audience was captivated from the very first second. What strikes first is the fact that the duo behind the feathered masks and war paint are multi-instrumentalists, bringing the most of their drums, bowed guitar, trumpet and piano. They also have a clear, cinematic vision that truly brings the music to life. 'Through A Lens Darkly', performed to 'The Last Breath', a dystopian live action short unveiling the darkest corners of human nature, never fails to send shivers down my spine, the trumpets metallic sound adding to the uneasy feeling triggered by the film.
During this show I finally noticed how all of the shorts follow the theme of human condition, focusing on it's doomed nature. We have robots taking over tasks from human assassins, a woman coping with the inevitable process ageing and death, the nature of passing time reflected by an animation that shows the changes in drawing styles... That, teamed with perfectly synchronised lighting and staging, gives angrily enveloping, multimedia experience.
Musically, Freyja as a featured vocalist never fails to stun. Her voice during 'Between Two Worlds' is powerful in its fragile quietness. 'Violent Lights' with Alex Hedley's vocals were another highlight. One of my personal favourites is 'Together' with samples from what sounds like 50s propaganda radio or TV, with powerful, pounding piano.
The set closed with 'Dark Clouds Mean War' from the upcoming second part of the EP, Dismantle Suns and I personally cannot wait till the 30th October to put my hands on it. I also can't wait for another Nordic Giants live gig. They're currently on a UK tour until the 20th October and if they happen to play anywhere near you - give yourself a gift of a Nordic Giants performance. You might think you've heard it all, but you haven't seen anything yet.
