Tuesday 30 January 2018

Lau, Queens Hall

I've reviewed Lau so often before that there's little new to be said here.  As always this was the finest musical occasion of my year and the lack of a new album did nothing to change that.  The trio are celebrating their ten year anniversary in style, looking back at the work that's given us four amazing studio albums, a couple of atmospheric live LPs, and numerous collaborative works.  Both in studio and on stage they remain supreme musicians and entertainers, with their loyal following, at what has become their regular 'home' gig, passionate and enthralled.

An acoustic set, stripped back to the basics of guitar, fiddle, accordion and Kris Drever's vocals, brought some new arrangements of well known numbers and a chance to revel in the power of the musicianship.  The second half brought out their electronic innovations, density of sound and imagination.  A new and very strange electronic device called Morag saw all three band members gathered round to produce a soundscape like no other, and in the classic Hinba the usual discordant passage turned into an electronic car crash.  Even revisiting their old material Lau always manage to throw up something new.

Still the best.

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