And so after an explosive act of God (in their words) postponed their first-ever UK gig for a month, Sunny Day Real Estate finally get to play in London. I would have said something along the lines of "introduce their music to London", only the audience were more than familiar with it. And was it worth the wait? Hell yes.
So after a small adventure in the Underground, the almost revelatory discovery that Sainsburys has self-service coffee machines, and sitting outside the venue for a couple of hours, it was that most-loved of nondescript evening hours. 7pm.
The HMV Forum (or Kentish Town Forum, for those of you able to remember a time when venues weren't all owned by a brand) is one of those venues I have a love/hate relationship with. It's far from bad but the sound is uneven, being ear-nukingly loud up front and almost inaudible further back.
In the absence of Saves The Day, a "surprise support act" had been threatened, and so most of the audience were none the wiser as to who was to be opening for such a massively influential band. We watched a semi-acoustic setup being assembled with an air of mystery.
The support came on, and it was none other than Biffy Clyro! It was only a short set (seven songs or so) but it was sweet. They weren't their normal rock-god selves, but they have a gift in that their songs can translate very well to soulful acoustic numbers. I got the distinct impression that they were quite humbled at being asked to open for Sunny Day Real Estate (perhaps even a little afraid of trying to upstage them) and hearing the two bands together in one gig it suddenly made sense: Biffy Clyro are Sunny Day Real Estate fanboys. Albeit with a rockier edge and a different take on things, but the bones of their music come from Sunny Day Real Estate. Their performance was muted slightly in the lack of electrics and a drumkit, but it allowed for the subtleties and emotional power of the songs they had chosen to shine through. So that was a lovely set and a great surprise.
Sunny Day Real Estate were next, and this signalled a return to the land of electric instruments with a bright red bass, Gibson SGs, and a spangled drumkit. (I am too shortsighted to see what Dan Hoerner was playing.)
The band came on stage at nine, and launched into their set after greeting their fans, and believe me, they were fans. Sunny Day Real Estate may have passed under the radars of many, but the people who love their music really and truly adore it. And after watching them tonight, it is easy to see why. The original lineup haven't been together for a decade, but watching them last night it felt as if they had never taken a break. The whole set seemed natural and each member knew what to do and how to work with one another, and looked genuinely happy to share a stage again.
They are often namedropped as the creators of emo, but that may be a little unfair. "Emo" suggests angst by the shedload and a sense of gravitas that weighs as much as a shed, but Sunny Day Real Estate don't have that. Yes, their songs are emotional, but that's just what they are: emotional. There are sad songs, but their music style is an uplifting thing, a kind of grungey pop sound with some interesting tweaks in melody and rhythm that adds not one but several new dimensions to their songs. It's a beautiful, beautiful moment for everyone involved. Their lyrics are cryptically mournful, describing love gone wrong and emotional pain, but the sound upon which they are carried delivers a message of hope. Yes, you may feel bad, but it will get better.
The funny thing is, that although they are known as a rock band and they do indeed rock out with the best of them, it's all done at their own pace. There's no urgency. You couldn't rush a band like this, and you wouldn't want to. The songs need time to sink in. This meant that the set felt slow, but it didn't drag. Stage banter was kept to a minimum, but they don't seem the kind of band who need to make small talk.
They left the stage profusely thanking their fans and came back for a small but welcome encore.
After their encore, the stage lights remained up, but for all the cheering and clapping, the band didn't reappear for a second encore. It was never established whether they decided not to reappear or if the venue had made a mistake, but either way, it felt like the show we were given was worth waiting for.
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