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One of the wonderful things about seeing a band with no prior expectations, is that magical moment, around two thirds of the way through where you realise you’re absolutely loving it. That moment comes tonight for The Bees who rank immediately among the most infectiously enjoyable live acts this hack has have ever seen. Support act Maps are an odd choice and a strange experience considering what comes after. The swirling bliss rock though finds lustre that was lacking from the gig we saw them at only six days previous at the Koko. My only issue is that James Chapman, despite playing particularly thunderous guitar on the final track, never looks like he’s enjoying himself. His dour concentration makes for odd watching but if you close your eyes, the ghosts of My Bloody Valentine and Ride come into view and Chapman again marks himself out as a particularly promising act. When a little craft and personality works its way into his live shows, he will be a might special spectacle.
The raw of applause as The Bees take the stage is very sweet and quite disarming, not just for us but for the band. South Coast boys after my own heart, their set tonight is very special for the fans packed into the theatre as it will consist of the band playing the entirety of new album 'Octopus', takes a quick break, then returns to hammer out a few from their previous two. The kaleidoscope imagery behind the stage is lovely if a slight misnomer as there are few trippy moments that occur tonight to warrant the visuals. But 'Octopus' really does take hold quite nicely.
‘Listening Man’ is a lolloping highlight but in all honesty, it all sounds at the very worst serviceable. The only complaint comes when the band comes a little close to sounding like the Wurzels in all their um-pah pomp. Indeed, considering what comes after, there does seem a lack of confident stride in Octopus’ tracks but it never falters enough to derail. The intermission allows a couple more beers to sink and it’s onwards and steeply upwards in the second half. ‘I Love You’ provides a very soothing slow-jam moment, evoking the Memphis horns and Al Green while their cover of Jorge Ben’s ‘A Minha Menina’ is utterly beautiful bossa nova. ‘Chicken Payback’ retains all its delirious tex-mex skiffle while ‘Sunshine’ is lush, sunkissed dreaminess, perfect for this balmy night not 500 yards from the Thames.
The high point actually comes in the final encore, a stunning rendition of ‘These Are The Ghosts’ that brings the house down. Never before have I been so won over by a band in the course of a gig. The sheer charm of the gents would have been enough but it turns out they can really play. Their sound remains the same across the night, taking some of Beta Band’s trip-hop country, Calexico’s mariachi-swing and mostly, sounding like a happy Gomez. But comparisons like this are lazy and useless in the context of such a stormingly fun gig. I cannot recommend these folks enough.
