The London trio play a triumphant homecoming gig in the beautiful surroundings of Somerset House.
We’ve been having quite a fine summer this year, glorious sunshine for days on end, even a bit of humidity: perfect conditions it could be said for Somerset House’s summer season of outdoor gigs. Until tonight that is, where the rain continues to fall, forcing one of our party to go on a desperate hunt for a poncho. Luckily the rain only lasts as long as the uninspired support acts, so despite having to wait a while for The XX to come on stage, at least we’re dry.
Somerset House would provide a picturesque setting for any band but seems particularly apt for the delicate creeping melodies of The XX, whose music perfectly encapsulates the sound of dusk in a bustling city. The band finally make it on stage and go straight into an extended version of ‘Intro’ before running through an exhilarating ‘Crystallised’. While interaction with the crowd is kept to a minimum, the intimate setting of the concert means that you still feel involved – perhaps it’s because of the sparse honesty of their music, which is mirrored in their powerful, yet subtle live performance.
Midway through the set, bassist Oliver Sim, dressed in sombre black, declares that this is a show the band have been looking forward to for a long time, before getting one of the biggest cheers of the night playing ‘VCR’. The XX’s rise to fame has been kept much in the style of their music: quietly prying into the hearts of a nation without having a hit single. What tonight shows though is the quality of their debut album – not a single song fails to connect and your only worry for the future is how they might develop the distinctive sound they’ve created for themselves. Even a cover of the funk house ‘Do You Mind?’ by Kyla gets dosed up on an XX diet of delicate single string guitar melodies and ambient male-female vocals.
They finish the set with a touching ‘Infinity’ whilst a confetti cannon provides a poignant scene as the silver flakes of paper reflect in the night sky. While other bands would have used one simply to add to the pomp of an occasion, with The XX it appears a natural development of the song. Returning to the stage to play ‘Stars’, the band offer a melancholic hope in what was a starless urban landscape and state how this could be the last time they play London in a long time. We certainly hope they don’t stay away for too long; this city needs them.
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