Photo: Chris MacDonald
There's a sense of occasion in the air tonight, unlike most standard arena gigs. That tends to come with most events at the cavernous and awe-inspiring Alexandra Palace, but the tension that awaits The National is a very different kind of anticipation.
Not only does tonight mark what's probably their biggest UK headline gig to date, but it's one last victory lap of a band who have upped their game to trounce their peers. Their dour Americana tones have drawn them many comparisons over the years, bringing a weight of expectation. Here's usually where someone mentions REM. Screw that.
Their name was once uttered in the same breath as Interpol - a band who failed to match the dizzying ascent and momentum of The National following their debut. Arcade Fire are another group from across the pond to be levelled against this dark and dapper New York five-piece. They're both excelling in their fields at the moment, and while Reflektor will doubtlessly come to blows with Trouble Will Find Me when indie bloggers come to rank their end of year lists, we're dealing with a very different beast altogether in The National.
Ally Pally is the perfect venue for The National - a majestic and monolithic scale to match their sound, with enough charm and personal intricacies to make it seem intimate. Rather than basking in the achievement on headlining such a grand hall, Matt Berninger seems to view the distance between the band and the back of the audience as a challenge - taking every given opportunity to invade the crowd and square up to as many members of the audience as possible.
Opener 'Don't Swallow The Cap' pretty much encapsulates all that's great about their sound. If any band understands the art of tension and release, then it's The National. Early tracks 'Don't Swallow The Cap', 'Mistaken For Strangers' and 'Bloodbuzz Ohio' are the ultimate demonstration of this - with Bryan Devendorf’s trademark rumbling drums and the understated but artful guitar interplay of the Dessner twins to create a sparse but restrained sense of pressure, while Berninger’s vocal acts as the centre of gravity before a climax tantrically takes an age to arrive, and then passes in a moment.
Even the greatest gigs suffer a lull about 2/3 of the way through, but it's that constant tease that's so arresting. As they tear through an epic 26-song set, you'd think that you'd tire of a gig of this length - but after releasing a solid run of near-flawless albums, tonight's show is just cherry-picking moment after moment of greatness. There's also great moments for fanboys, in the form of the rare outing of early cut 'Available', as well as 'Lean' taken from the new Hunger Games soundtrack.
Capped off by the traditional ending of Berninger invading the audience like a madman for 'Mr November' and the band turning off their amps and mics for the audience to join in glorious chorus for a haunting and tender rendition of 'Vanderlyly Crybaby Geeks', the night stands another milestone of The National cementing their place as one of the most important indie bands on the planet.
REM they are not, Arcade Fire they are not. What are The National? Simple: America's last consistently reliable band. Now, the unbearable wait for what glorious noise they deliver next. Whatever it is, it will be monumental, it will be an event. Oh, how they tease us.
The National played:
Don't Swallow the Cap
I Should Live in Salt
Mistaken for Strangers
Bloodbuzz Ohio
Demons
Sea of Love
Afraid of Everyone
Hard to Find
This Is the Last Time
I Need My Girl
Squalor Victoria
Conversation 16
Available
Cardinal Song
Slow Show
Apartment Story
Pink Rabbits
England
Graceless
About Today
Fake Empire
Encore:
Lean
Humiliation
Mr. November
Terrible Love
Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks
Below: Exclusive photos of The National live at Alexandra Palace
