Bon Iver LIVE

From the first note of new album opener ‘Perth’ it was clear that the Bon Iver of Winter 2011 is a very different entity to that of Justin Vernon’s cabin-bound solo origins of five years ago. The surprisingly rich sound system of the 02 Academy in Birmingham pulsated warmly with Vernon’s opening riff before exploding into the first chorus, leaving the eager audience swirling in the layers and textures of the song. After the climactic opening we were led deftly through ambient noise into ‘Minnesota’, arguably the highlight of this year’s self-titles album. Gently picked guitars were backed by unified singing- a truly choral moment- before the mid-section of the song took off with its squelching bass line and rampant drumming, only to return again to Vernon’s subtle guitar to end the song. Today Bon Iver is not just a moniker for Justin Vernon, but for a group of ferociously talented musicians, nine of them, who create a wall of sound with all the force of a stadium rock band while maintaining the subtle delicacies of ‘For Emma, Forever Ago.’ Their latest record, released in June, is more the creation of a group of musicians than the solo work of Bon Iver’s 2008 debut, thus bringing an audible depth to Vernon’s songwriting which thrived in the live setting on the night. Often found sitting facing his band at the front of the stage, Vernon was passing the spotlight (literally) to his band and their music. The songs were stretched and moulded out of their recorded familiarity into evolving experiences- ‘Creature Fear’ was opened by a mournful trombone, unrecognisable until the lyrics settled perfectly into their new surroundings. ‘Blood Bank’, from the eponymously named EP, became a powerhouse of thumping drums (two sets) and backing singing from the entire band, distinctly reminiscent of Arcade Fire’s euphoria en masse. In total contrast, Vernon was then left alone onstage to stun the room into silence with a beautiful rendition of ‘re:stacks’ from his debut. Recent single ‘Calgary’ was gratefully received before the re-vamped ‘Skinny Love’ ended the main set. The inevitable encore ended with ‘The Wolves’ and Vernon imploring his willing followers to join him in singing the refrain which leads to the song’s climax. This provoked a truly spine-tingling moment, even within that sweaty crowd, leaving the audience emotionally exhausted and somewhat awestruck at the evening’s affairs.