Fleet Foxes - Manchester Academy 2, 9th November 2008 [Live]

Manchester Academy 2, 9th November 2008

Fleet Foxes are a band for all seasons. I first fell in love with their debut album whilst lounging on my balcony in the fleeting summer sun, and I thought it the perfect summer album, but tonight in Manchester it seemed to have taken on autumnal qualities. The songs seem to have a closeness with nature that goes beyond song titles such as ‘Ragged Wood’, White Winter Hymnal’, ‘Sun It Rises’ and ‘Blue Ridge Mountains’, and I could almost hear the leaves blowing in the wind.

The audience here seems to span as many generations as the Fleet Fox’s influences, which I guess is no surprise. Songwriting this good, performed so expertly, spans generations and unites son, with father, and yes, even grandfather. Fleet Foxes are one of those rare bands that anyone of any age with taste can agree on. Sadly too much alcohol and a lack of respect for others also spans generations, so it’s also no surprise that some 40-odd year old idiot keeps heckling the band from the back of the room. My mind is bursting with possible retorts, but to get involved would only compound the problem, so I leave the band to take it all in good humour, amusing the audience with some light comedy (my word, this gig really is value for money).

Opening with a non album track in a cappella, even the heckler is stunned into silence. Not too many bands even attempt to sing a cappella, let alone for an entire song, and to pull it off with such mesmerising beauty is testament to Fleet Foxes’ talent. The audience is already fully aware of just how good this gig is going to be. From here on in it’s their self-titled debut all the way, replicated only as closely as you would want from a live performance. There are no histrionics, no false bravado, no stage diving or standing on the kick drum. Fleet Foxes come across as shy, but have utter confidence in their ability to impress live (and also put down a drunken heckler).

‘White Winter Hymnal’, ‘Ragged Wood’ and ‘He Doesn’t Know Why’ are as impressive live as I hoped they would be, with fantastic harmonies from the band backing up skilful instrumentation. Twice they leave lead singer Robin Pecknold to play short solo acoustic sets, which seems to shrink the venue to a more intimate size. He’s a very likeable, humble young guy of amazing talent, so there are no sounds of discontent from the crowd each time his band mates leave the stage. ‘Meadowlarks’ ‘Tiger Mountain Peasant Song’ and ‘Oliver James’ drift beautifully from the solitary Pecknold, and you can almost hear the individual gulping and gasping of the crowd. It’s mightily impressive, even for a more mature, discerning crowd, many of whom have lived through career pinnacles of Fleet Foxes great musical forbearers such as Crosby, Stills and Nash, Neil Young and The Beach Boys.

“Absolutely amazing” the middle-aged man next to me declares as the lights come up to signal the end. One to tell the grandkids about then; or at least those that weren’t there.