Woodpigeon at Union Chapel 7th May 2010
From Calgary, Alberta to London, UK was the journey Woodpigeon had to make to bring their pretty orchestra pop to us at the Union Chapel. From the same basement in his parents house where he began his musical expedition, Mark Andrew has spent his years of music-making and reading the now defunct Select magazine to get to the Union Chapel stage and deliver his new album Die Stadt Muzikanten. Providing a back to nature feel using the simplest of instruments such as whistles. bells and handclaps brings us closer around the Woodpigeon campfire for warm delights like ‘Empty-Hall Sing-Along,’ ‘Enchatee Qanvier’ and ‘Redbeard.’ Songs about stolen kisses, love lost and found and bewildered passion that are melancholy yet heavenly when sung by Mark and his choirboy vocals that are hidden beneath his bearded, bear of a man shell. His voice travels as though he is sitting directly behind you and whispering in your ear with his warm breath.
After seeing Woodpigeon as a lonesome acoustic set last year, I was keen to see the effects of a full band that included drums, bass and two female backing singers who provided some uncanny dance variations as well as haunting violins and synths. One of the main highlights of the show was when Portland’s Laura Gibson came up on stage to help with vocals on ABBA cover ‘Lay All Your Love On Me’ to give an emotional, heart wrenching version of the Swedish foursome’s disco, synth heavy classic. For tonight, Woodpigeon travelled over four thousand miles to bring a little bit of wonderful into our lives before flying off to create another musical love nest somewhere else.
