Live Report: Low, at Vicar Street

What a perfect time see Low. It’s not my first time to see them, but October feels ideal for their moody, ambient, haunting presence. With the addition of Katie Kim on support duties, I would be at task to think of a more brooding match.

From the bar, a round of applause followed by laughter tells us Katie is on stage. We make it to our seats just as the first song is ending. She tells us what we’re going to hear are ‘simple versions of extravagant songs’ – but that’s OK as she is a ‘simple girl!’ I beg to differ. Despite the minimal stage set up (she uses just a keyboard and pedals) her songs fill the room and the audiences hungry ears. The second song she plays using string synths, starting with low double bass like notes which eventually climb higher. The low frequencies bounce around the already tense room to almost create an unease – a theme set to continue throughout the entire evening. Although she had warned us we would have to use our imaginations to get a sense of the songs in their fully orchestrated iterations, we don’t have to work very hard. Her looped vocals, particularly in her third slow burning waltz-like song where they reach 5 or 6 layers, add incredible texture. For a solo performer, she creates an appropriate amount of drama. For your writer, the highlight was a Scott Walker cover she performs – ‘Farmer in the City’. She says she doesn’t have many songs where she ‘can stick on the synth and have the craic’, so that’s her aim with this. A strange sentiment about such a song, which is unnerving at the least. Something I imagine you might hear at a sacrifice ritual. 6 throbbing lights are twisting in and out - chilling. As the piece moves on, organ notes and droning synths saturate the room as the number of lights grows and the tension builds, illuminating the pinnacle moment of the hymn. For her final song, we are brought back to the former tone and she says goodnight. Already having appropriately high hopes for a performer of her seasoning, our expectations were still surpassed.

A very quick break, and Low appear, silhouetted by a faint blue light. They break straight into Quorum, from their newly released LP ‘Double Negative’. Reversed delays on chiming guitar chords serve only to further intensify the already buzzing atmosphere. The brightening lights illuminate the again minimal stage set up as the trademark harmonies come into play. Mimi Parker is known for playing a pared back drum kit – no kick drum, or hi-hats – and uses only a brush and a mallet in place of sticks. This allows for the soft and minimal beats, and is reminiscent of one Ms. Mo Tucker. On ‘No Comprende’ we’re given some palm muted chords from Alan Sparhawk, while menacing red lights correlate with the lyrics about fire. Blue lights fade in and shine down as Parker’s breathy, airy vocals come back in. The song closes abruptly – not even just mid line, but almost mid note. The lights, in fact, are put to good use all night. Green lights in line with the lake theme in ‘Poor Sucker’, and at other times orange and purple – very season appropriate.

We witness a subtle, but strong and consistent beat from the whole band on ‘Plastic Cup’, followed by Parker taking the lead vocally on ‘The Innocents’. It’s something special to watch this trio perform. They are three separate entities, but they way they meld together is astonishing. They don’t even look at each other throughout the performance. It feels like something very instinctive. Something almost telepathic, transcending the need for physicality. ‘Tempest ‘is another new track, and one where the reverse delay is in play again. Steve Garrington is also using atmospheric effects on his bass – unusual and very effective. Although, as Sparhawk comments, he is ‘a maverick’. The sounds from the stage are swelling – filling the room to an almost stifling degree. The spinning lights enhance the effect and create an almost juxtaposition. Enjoyably uncomfortable. The crowd shows their appreciation.

Sparhawk is a deliberate guitar player. Even when he’s making overdriven, distorted sounds he only barely touches the strings. Controlled and concise. Over the course of the evening, we are repeatedly delighted by the trinity. There’s the almost hymnal ‘Some Holy Ghost’, during which the light is bouncing off Garrington’s tuning fork, and swinging around the room like a searchlight. On ‘Lies’, Parker accents the drums with a tambourine, while Sparhawk vocalises in a high register with ease. The lights on stage are almost reminiscent of the cover of 2011’s “C’mon”. Amongst the constituents of the new record, older favourites like ‘Lazy’ enchant the audience – a testament to the bands longevity.

After almost 2 hours, but still all too soon, they leave the stage. Goaded back on for a farewell, we’re told that although they play it year after year after year, ‘Murderer’ feels like the right song to end with. On this point I agree – they kill it. They told us earlier in the evening that they’re going home tomorrow. Perhaps it’s the case they wanted to go out with a bang. Mission accomplished.