Low At The Union Chapel

Low At The Union Chapel

21 July, 2008
by: Lowri

In case you haven’t heard of them, Low are a band from Minnesota, formed in ‘93 who are often dubbed ‘slowcore’ for their tendency to make music as soft and low as possible. Their sound is a reaction against the grunge made popular in the 90s by Nirvana, Pearl Jam et al, and in the early days they responded to inattentive pub and club audiences by turning their volume down. Understated and minimalist, they’re headed up by a husband and wife vocalist duo whose harmonies are subtle, powerful and breathtaking: seeing Low live is something unforgettable.

The Union Chapel is the perfect venue for a band like Low, and it sold out instantly. The acoustics are incredible and being seated in the chapel amongst the candles while the harmonies of Parker and Sparhawk rise around you, lifting you up, is a pure and amazing feeling. Low play here whenever they tour the UK, and the place is packed with diehard fans. They play a lot of dark songs (‘Murderer’, ‘Breaker’, ‘Pissing’) mainly from their new album ‘Drums and Guns’ - and the seated crowd spend the 80 minute set completely enraptured; everyone locked in their own private appreciation of the simply beautiful sounds emanating from the 3 people on stage.

They play a novelty song (‘Be Nice To People With Lice’), perhaps keen to show that they're not all po-faced and teary-eyed. But it's when they play their softer and more tender songs that you feel you’re seeing the best side of Low: heaven distilled into two voices, guitar, bass and drums.

When they return for the encore, the crowd begin to shout requests and every single one is different. It’s testimony to what a healthy and extensive back catalogue they have and how many varying sides to their music exist. Some were shouting for the very dark, sparse, downbeat early stuff like ‘Violence’, others wanted the perfectly formed, super-sweet pop of ‘Cue The Strings’ or the jarring emotion of ‘Will The Night’. Some wanted the novelty of a familiar song in trademark Low style like ‘Just Like Christmas’.

‘We played that last time didn’t we?’ asked Sparhawk on hearing one of the requests, proving that they try to play a very different set whenever they appear at the Union Chapel. Despite not honouring any of the requests (besides playing two bars of Violence for a girl who kept shouting it) the numerous song titles pouring forth from the crowd must have heartened the band and made them realise how well loved they are in the UK.

Click here to see all London Live Music
Click here for things to do in Islington

Lowri