British Sea Power
January 31, 2008
Koko, London
Words: Oli Isaacs

This is a band at the peak of their powers, playing one of the biggest London shows of their careers, in one of London's best live venues, Koko.

With their big tunes, and in spite of their pre-postmodern literary indie bent, they might just be the U2 its okay to like. No, not like, love.

There are elements of camp about the show, and lead singer Scott Wilkinson's voice is definitely slightly horse tonight but it's the better for it. You believe what he's saying. Every song becomes personal which is a feat considering the esoteric nature of the lyrics.

There's something of the football crowd chant about where the band have gone since the days when they played the Freebut in Brighton or On The Rocks in East London. But for once, a band can throw off the enticing mantle of indie rock and craft something worthwhile out of a grander stadium-esque rock sound. Even the krauty, sometime garage rock influences sound more precise and generally epic. I think that is what they were always trying to do anyway. Sadly though, still absent is the huge cover of Julian Cope's "Out Of My Mind On Dope And Speed". Maybe the band are off the dope and speed? They sound like they might be.

The bear is still waiting in the wings for the encore, every note is perfect. It always was though. Have they lost the excitement that came with playing to 200 people or the Truck Festival? Not really, they're just more grown up. A bit like their fans who are average age demographic for people who still buy CDs, be it in Rough Trade or HMV, or online at Amazon.

British Sea Power is not music for the peer-to-peer generation and no one is getting it for free. The fact that most of the audience owns all three albums is obvious because they all sing the words. A member of Coldplay came to see a BSP gig with me once and said unflatteringly that they reminded him of Tin Machine. He was wrong, but maybe that's why they're so good and maybe he was right after all? Bowie should be allowed to express himself for sure.

Three songs into the encore and its rocking in the venue. People are drunk. If the band had it their way it would be on real ale, but here's where the fun starts. Reminiscent of early BSP shows, they freestyle a psych rock jam whilst keeping tight rhythms, people are on the stage with a large bear dancing. Its a brown bear, and a very big one at that. Trumpets play whilst a Martin Noble guitar solo reaches its crescendo and you know something as the organ drones towards the close of the set you believe that they might even be better than U2 as you suspected all along.