Post-rock doesn’t get as good as Explosions in the Sky, the quartet who have defined the genre for nearly twenty years. Support comes from New Zealand’s Fazerdaze who impress with their hypnotic dream pop and graciousness towards the attentive crowd. They serve as a palatable starter for the main course of the evening, striking the perfect balance of energy during their set.
As the stage is cleared and set up for Explosions in the Sky the sold out crowd shift anxiously in their seat as they await the band’s arrival. Placing a great emphasis on dynamics and atmosphere, the band orchestrate a light show that synchronises perfectly with the music to accentuate the emotion behind the compositions.
The mellower moments of the set are bathed in blue, the more abrasive in red. The most breathtaking moment of the show, however, comes when a rainbow spectrum lights across the stage, leaving the audience gasping in awe of the spectacle in front of them.
The band seamlessly shift from one song to another, pacing the tension before erupting in a spectacular and all-consuming sound. Each climax is heart stopping, the moments of silence only filled with applause once the audience take a moment to collect themselves.
Explosions in the Sky don’t just play music, they throw themselves entirely into the performance, the guitarists thrashing in unison as they strum, the expressions on their faces intense with concentration even though they’ve been doing this for so long. It’s impossible to take your eyes off these masters at work and not feel astonished by their ability.
It’s hard to shake the trance-like feeling once the show is over, but the sense that you’ve witnessed something special radiates long after the spell ends. Music played this expressively is an engrossing sight, one that has the ability to transform and move in ways that assert the power of song. The memories of this show, and the wondrous sight before our eyes, will no doubt not be forgotten soon.
Highlight: The light show.
Lowlight: Eating Pringles for dinner to make the early start.
Crowd favourite: Watching one of the ushers head bang in the aisle.
By Holly Pereira
