UBER ONE PRESENTS... ALL POINTS EAST 2024 - THE POSTAL SERVICE // VICTORIA PARK, LONDON
THE POSTAL SERVICE CLOSE UBER ONE PRESENTS…
ALL POINTS EAST 2024 AT LONDON’S VICTORIA PARK
★★★★☆ (4/5)
THE POSTAL SERVICE HEADLINING UBER ONE PRESENTS… ALL POINTS EAST 2024 AT LONDON’S VICTORIA PARK
PHOTOCREDIT: PHOEBE FOX
2003 was something of a seminal year for Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard. The indie stalwarts released their groundbreaking album ‘Transatlanticsm’ – keeping the flame of melancholy soft rock burning, the torch passed from the likes of Elliott Smith and Bright Eyes. 2003 was also the year the Gibbard’s side-project ‘The Postal Service’ released their sole, but similarly influential, album ‘Give Up’. A pillar of indietronica, ‘Give Up’ has rarely been performed live since its release. The closing night of London’s All Points East festival consequently serves as a massive event for the largely millennial audience as the two bands play back-to-back sets playing these albums in full. The supporting lineup boasts several of their indie peers including The Decemberists, Phoenix, Sleater Kinney and Yo La Tengo.
Yo La Tengo play a short but sweet 35-minute set early in the day, displaying their signature laid back folk melancholia. They played tracks spanning their near 30-year career. Whilst missing out their signature track ‘Autumn Sweater’ it was a pleasant start to the last day of the festival and ideal fare for the Sunday vibes.
Fresh from playing the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games, Phoenix hit Victoria Park with upbeat indie-pop to get the crowd going in the afternoon. A legendary band in their own right, the French icons were not bereft of hits to play to the Sunday afternoon audience including ‘Lisztomania’ and ‘1901’ as well as newer cuts such as ‘Winter Solstice’ and ‘Tonight’
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE PERFORMING AT UBER ONE PRESENTS… ALL POINTS EAST 2024 AT LONDON’S VICTORIA PARK
PHOTOCREDIT: PHOEBE FOX
True to advertising – Death Cab’s set consisted exclusively of playing Transatlanticism from start to finish. Twenty years of playing these songs provides for a polished set. Gibbard’s signature soft nasal vocals cutting through well in the mix of expertly toned guitars, sounding true to the original recordings. There is a peculiarity in playing an album from front to back in that albums are sequenced differently to a live set. The main complaint would be that many of the huge tracks were played first where they would typically be reserved for the final songs of the set. Massive songs like ‘The New Year’ (which opens the set), ‘Title and Registration’ and the eponymous ‘Transatlanticsm’ have early outings in the setlist. The passion and sincerity of the performance dispels any notion that is a nostalgia cash-in. Death Cab love playing these songs and it’s clear to see.
The band take a 15-minute interval before Gibbard re-emerges as the The Postal Service, having changed from black attire to white attire. A shift in tone and lighting rejuvenates the audience with a dancier and (kind of) more upbeat set that was both energetic and heartfelt. Opener ‘The District Sleeps Alone Tonight’ and the inevitably singable ‘Sleeping In’ get the audience moving. With a brand of music that is innately appealing to introverts – it’s good to a form of dance music have a hold on audience that are perhaps seldom on the dancefloor. The addition of Jenny Lewis to the duos live set brings a great accompaniment to Gibbard’s softly spoken vocals and the overall sound sounds full for a three-piece band. The song ‘Such Great Heights’ is played early in the set and then repeated acoustically as an encore. As the final word, Gibbard brings both bands together to perform a shimmering cover of Depeche Mode’s ‘Enjoy The Silence’. This collaboration is something of indie fanatic’s dream.
The only real drawbacks were that Death Cab didn’t have the capacity to play tunes from their other great albums but the audience is satisfied overall and it’s always good to leave wanting a bit more.