Click Click

concert review: The Wedding Present w/ The Airfields @ Lee's Palace(Toronto, Ontario), March 10, 2006

The Wedding Present returned to Toronto at Lee's Palace last Friday night for the second time within the last eleven months and played another stellar set for Toronto fans. Like their show last April, their setlist(courtesy of Chromewaves who has a nice review and some great photos from the show) this past Friday drew from almost their entire career, including The Weddoes very first single "Go Out And Get 'Em Boy!", selections from their latest "Take Fountain", oldies from "George Best", "Sea Monsters", and "Bizarro", mid-period selections from "Watusi", and "Saturnalia" as well as a few Cinerama tunes. I wonder how Mr. Gedge chooses the setlist? It's almost as if he loaded up an iPod with The Wedding Present/Cinerama catalogue, then clicked shuffle. I was at their last show last April but I enjoyed this most recent show more, if only because the Weddoes peformed "Click Click" which is possibly my favourite song of theirs, as well as a dynamite version of their cover of Julee Cruise's "Falling"(theme song from "Twin Peaks"). However Mr. Gedge chooses the setlists, I'm glad that he chose to mix it up this time, rather than duplicate last April's heavier-on-"Take Fountain"-set. I'd like to mention that this time around, I appreciated bassist Terry De Castro's role much more this time. Her bass playing doesn't seem to be very complicated but it's really her lovely background vocals(especially on "Click Click") which clearly establishes her role in the band. David seemed pretty chipper throughout the set, not really saying too much, but when he did he revealed to the audience a little bit of his wit. He's a really great gentleman actually, as I caught Mr. Gedge before The Weddoes set at the merch table where he graciously signed the copy of the Cinerama DVD which I bought from him.

I was disappointed to catch only the last three songs of local Toronto C86/British-indie-inspired band The Airfields since what I'd heard from them that night sounded really good. Funny thing is that months ago, I'd previously heard some samples from their website and wasn't really blown away; their melodies seemed only partially fleshed out. This time they were promoting a new EP, "Laneways", and if the three songs I heard were from that EP, well then they seemed better realized. Or maybe the songs come off better live. It was also interesting to find out that the band also features The Diableros' Pete Carmichael(on bass guitar) and Ian Jackson(on guitar). I did purchase both of The Airfields' EP's("Laneways" and "City-State") and will be sure to catch them live in the future. They're having a release party at Sneaky Dee's on March 25th for their "Laneways" EP - can't make it unfortunately since I'll be at the Magnolia Electric Co./Destroyer show at Lee's Palace on the same night.

[my photos from the show]