Beirut, Albert Hall, Manchester
- Written by Ruth Offord
After three years of silence it’s only apt that Beirut return to the UK in an old worn out chapel hidden in the centre of Manchester.
Walking through the peeling plastered walls and in to the huge cavern like hall, the band have clearly chosen a hidden gem for their warm up gig. Stood in the crowd it feels like we’ve been transported to a secret bunker before the band’s huge unveiling – a headlining slot at Green Man Festival.
As the band open with the light notes of ‘Nantes’ it’s impossible not to smile as the song builds into a magnificent brass arrangement. Echoing around the impressive hall, the full force of the band’s volume is overwhelming as Zac Condon’s vocals carry both a melancholy and celebratory tone.
Mixing and matching across albums, EPs and live favourites ‘Santa Fe’, ‘East Harlem’ and ‘Vagabond’ come and go with ease but it’s ‘Postcards From Italy’ and ‘Elephant Gun’ that transforms the room into a feast of Eastern-European celebrations. The brass filled chorus’ leave audiences members bopping with a spontaneous glee, whooping one horn solo to the next. Condon’s voice never falters as he effortlessly switches instruments before conducting his ensemble into another rousing sing-a-long. Only a fit of giggles during ‘Forks & Knives (Le Fete)’ temporarily shatters the bands’ near perfect performance.
A certain energy is also noticeably absent. As the group launch into another brass-led hook, there’s a lack of excitement seen in previous live performances. New songs are interspersed with the old but it’s not until ‘No No No’ that there’s a sense of progression from the traditional brass arrangements.
As the march of ‘The Gulag Orkestar’ closes with a huge procession it feels only natural for Beirut’s music to be heard in such grand surroundings, but three years after The Rip Tide we can’t help but yearn for something new.