Okkervil River + Mr Bones and the Dreamers @ Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall – 10th November 2008
Wolverhampton City Centre is heaving tonight. The car parks are full, the ring road is a mass of cars, all crawling to the Civic Centre. The cars stop outside the Civic Hall, drop the kids off and then disappear: posh-pretty pop boys The Feeling are playing the Civic and they are cashing in on the buzz that currently surrounds them.. a buzz created by an audience of school-children. I am not here to see The Feeling, but it is worthwhile keeping this picture in mind as it is in direct contrast to what is happening at the Civic’s baby brother the Wulfrun and is also the reason I get to the venue late and miss the first support and most of the second support acts. Luckily there are four bands on tonight.
The Wulfrun is less than half the size of the Civic, which by the crowds outside the main doors would seem to be sold out, however, the Wulfrun is miserably attended and at a guess I would think it is only a third full. A real shame because main support act tonight is Birmingham’s very own Mr Bones and the Dreamers, a band I saw earlier this year at The Little Civic and am happy to say already have a loyal following.
Mr Bones are what I call a real band, they number seven, which always feels, sounds and looks as if some kind of serious commitment is being made (much more so than the foppish five piece playing the other side of the wall). Moreover, Mr Bones are clearly more influenced by a sound in their heads than their current flavour of the month favourite band. Yes there are shades of Pogues and Waterboys, but that is what happens when you have a violin player in the line up and play Anglo-Irish punk folk (I think that’s what it is called anyway). But the difference is that Mr Bones are not just copying their influences, or jumping on a band wagon, they are carving their own niche, they are playing what they love and they do it with a great passion.
The lead singer Kieran delivers quirky but interesting lyrics with intense feeling, sometimes dripping with melancholy, other times roaring along with the infectious rhythm swelling out from Coppell’s drumkit. At times he sings with a hint of Feargal Sharkey vibrato, but this is surprisingly not at all irritating and quickly becomes most endearing. Particular highlights are “Seasick” with its wonderful rhythm and tempo changes, held together with incredible vocals, and also the closing song “Rest” which has hints of Arcade Fire with it’s driving beat. Anna’s violin soaring high over an obviously well crafted arrangement. The crowd calls for more as the song dies away, but when there are four bands on, there isn’t any time for encores. Maybe the next time Mr Bones and the Dreamers play here, they will be headliners and can oblige their evergrowing fanbase. On the basis of the quality of work on their first CD “Because a Fire Was in My head” and the new songs played tonight, there is much more to hear from them. Luckily for us living in the Midlands, we shall be the first to catch on.
The main attraction, Okkervil River, are a band from Austin, Texas and they enter the stage to a ripple of applause. I have to admit I didn’t know much about them prior to the gig; sometimes this is a good thing because you go with no preconceptions. I have to say that I was not blown away. Okkervil River are clearly a very accomplished set of musicians, but they occupy an area of music that is currently saturated; bands like The Shins, Bright Eyes, Grantura, Neva Dinova, Death Cab For Cutie, bands I really like and respect by the way who are artists I feel do this sort of thing with a bit more balls, and by doing it with more passion are more likeable, because they are the real deal. I didn’t believe that Will Sheff and co were 100% committed to anything other than being in a band and just playing the songs to plug their latest album “The Stand-ins”; but live music has to be more than just singing your latest CD, the artist needs to leave a piece of himself with the audience. They just made me think that maybe I was missing something.
As I left the venue into a waiting crowd of The Feeling fans being picked up by their parents, I felt that Okkervil River are a band that falls between two stools: not popular enough to find favour with a mass audience (like The Feeling), but neither strange or quirky enough to find a real underground following with major cult appeal (like Arcade Fire). I can’t fault songs like “Pop Lie” and “ Singer Songwriter”, but I just feel there is something lacking. Maybe it was a reflection on the poor turn out at the venue, because it is true that an audience inspires the band in a wonderful symbiotic relationship. However, Mr Bones and the Dreamers pulled out a stunning display an hour before in front of the same audience. I know who I will be returning to see.