Cage The Elephant has always been a band with peculiar energy. Last Saturday, we went back to Alexandra Palace to witness, once more. Here’s our live report.
A mix of the greatest of nonchalance and boosted overvoltage. It’s simply what we were looking for and expecting as we walked, once more, inside of the main room of the Ally Pally. In this magnificent place that never ceases to amaze us, we get back to our last-week sport and get ready to enjoy this gig.
And yet, the stage seems smaller than last time, with fewer lights above it. But it doesn’t really matter, we are expecting craziness in a simple appearance. After two opening numbers rather uneven although promising, it is the American band’s turn to come on stage and resonate. The light is exceptional, the sound is exploding and the band appears, getting fans overexcited of course.
On stage, however, and because we’ve seen them before, there is something quite different. And not really in a good way. Sometimes, the chemistry between some band members seems off, faded, shy or even tensed. Fortunately, at other times, the non-dangerous craziness of singer Matt Shultz gets all the attention. If he’s still quick and unpredictable, he also seems to stumble across the stage in his own moves.
With some sound feedback and missing words, he continues in his infinite dance, letting his body reacting to any sound coming from the band or the ecstatic audience. The atmosphere is individualist and, as the smoke is covering the whole venue, unveiling beautiful lights, we rapidly jump from song to song.
Aint’ No rest For The Wicked is less chill than the studio version and gets a weird boost as if they were trying to put it quickly aside in the middle of the set. Obviously, other songs made the same effect on us and everything seemed to be part of a never-ending quick sequence of music only here to attract the eye to the stage and never let go.
So, yes, we do have fun, sing and vibrate through these tracks, and yet we keep feeling that something’s off. It was a weird feeling, probably not shared by a lot, and that didn’t block us from having fun and enjoying the band which, in a way or another is surprising us every time we see them. It was an essential concert for fans, maybe not the ideal one for the supporting-from-afar people. Nevermind, it’ll be better for us next time.