Thursday 15/01/09 Animal Collective @ Concorde 2, Brighton

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You get the feeling that amongst the 500+ crowd awaiting an appearance from the buzz-band of the year thus far, that some of them are expecting one of the most staggering live performances they'll ever claim to have witnessed. You prepare to be taken away by Animal Collective on the live circuit just as you would from listening to one of their records; their sound, so inhuman yet so unbelievably natural that you urge to be swept along with the sample-fused beauty of it all. At times during tonight's show you really are lost in a swarm of uplifting spirits, no substances required. At times you really do pinch yourself to check whether what's right before you is actually there. Close your eyes and occasionally optical-illusions form, illusions akin to the band's most recent album artwork, simply due to the rate at which the elaborate light show gives everything it has. Dancing like a maniac to something so sonically wrong at first glance yet something that feels so right, is about as good as it gets when it comes to gigs.

But Avey Tare and co. start slowly. Even the 'Merriweather Post Pavilion' standout-track 'My Girls' never kicks off like it should. Panda Bear looked at times frustrated, at times bored. But then something clicks. Either Geologist turns the bass up or the following songs just have that little more oomph when played live. But what's certain is, what was at one point heading for a major disappointment, suddenly becomes as awesome as it had once promised. It arrives in the form of the bass-heavy 'Also Frightened'. The audience yelp in unison to Avey Tare, the tempo is raised steadily and finally the crowd begin to lose themselves and the band clearly get in the mood to impress.

What's most notable about 'Merriweather...' is the sheer power of the bass. It rises above the many other elements, including the thousands of summery-samples incorporated into each song. And once that bass is turned up a notch, the highlights on the band's ninth album come to life like you never thought capable. 'Summertime Clothes' is as likeable and dance-inducing as expected, 'Lion In A Coma' is exceeded on stage, mainly thanks to Avey Tare's vocals being raised up an octave in unexpected fashion. Exciting as it is, the material played from the ninth album sounds patchy at times, requiring a few more performances before it can come to life. This is confirmed when the highlight of the set, 'Fireworks', from the previous record, raises the most enjoyable 10-minute-segment of the set. Lengthy, improvised at times but always hearty, it's the finest example of the band's great knack for tackling spontaneouity, flawlessly.