The National have been regulars to our shores for 16 years, so the six-year gap since their last show in Australia is a fair enough gap to have revived the appetite for the Ohio via New York City group.
Bringing Annie Hamilton along for the tour was a stroke of genius. Not only is she a self-professed fan of the group (as well as Fleet Foxes after a scream from the crowd), the Sydney artist’s music aligns beautifully into the dark and – at times – lowkey mould of the evening. Adorned in black wings along with her self-made outfit (Hamilton dabbles in fashion design as another of her artistic talents, including the poster for the tour), the low-lighting enhanced the moody scene for her songs, taken from her solo catalogue over the last six years since moving on from her former group, Little May.
Starting with “kitchen”, one of her earliest tracks, she warmed into the occasion, which was a monumental one. Playing to a huge room, which two hours later would be full to the brim is not only a life-affirming moment, but nerve-wracking! This might have been shown with a small glitch in her lyrics for “again”, but it didn’t take anything away from the exquisite and evocative dive into her debut album of 2022, “the future is here but it feels kinda like the past” along with final track from the album, “whirlwind”.
Her brand-new song, “talk” – released on the day, gave us a sneak peek at what’s around the corner, creating a dark, echoey and pulsing gothic sonic experience, her solo guitar driving the song admirably – without a full band – and her lyrics, “We don’t need to talk talk talk talk talk”, holding true, the growing crowd taking in the artist respectfully. A wonderful, albeit too short, set.
Fleet Foxes may not have seemed the obvious choice to share the tour around the country, but some obvious comparisons made it work. Seven members were present for both bands, the layered vocals and musicality of both groups did their best to fill the expanse of the theatre and they both have some diehard fans.
The acapella sing-a-long of “Sun Giant” to start the show was gorgeous and showed us early what we could expect from the harmonies in the group, but there was a sense that the intimacy was lost in the big room – not that they weren’t going to give it a good crack.
Lead singer, Robin Pecknold’s, voice is a thing of beauty. It dances over the moving and intertwined instrumentation of the group, which includes trombone, double-bass and flute of Morgan Henderson. The songs are well-constructed, from the rollicking yodel of “Ragged Wood” to the gorgeous rendition of “Blue Ridge Mountains”, we are reminded just how wondrous the group’s songwriting is.
Pecknold was not chatty by any means but did talk about the local housing market (“It’s tough out there”) and the fact that keyboardist, Casey Westcott, was looking at a Sydney house to live in the next morning. Westcott has a connection to Sydney, having produced local band, Fig’s most recent album so is this a hint that he’s sticking around?
“White Winter Hymnal”, one of the most recognisable tracks from the group, gave the crowd a chance to sing along and feel the cyclic harmonies that define the track. Again, the size of the theatre and the sheer scale and height of the seating can mean that the audience feels somewhat detached from the performers. This was somewhat remedied with the headline act, but for Fleet Foxes, we certainly did feel a bit detached from a group that thrives on the intimacy of performance.
Rounding out the set with three tracks from “Helplessness Blues”, including the title track as the finale, the group certainly performed beautifully and there was no doubt that they deserved a big stage, but sometimes bigger does not mean better.
Having released their 10th album late last year, The National is an anomaly in the world of rock bands. Not only have they been consistently releasing albums since their self-titled debut in 2001, but the group have maintained the same members throughout their duration. Lead singer, Matt Berninger, is flanked by two pairs of brothers, Dessner and Devendorf, with additional touring members added for diversity.
“We miss y’all. It’s been a long time. Thanks for coming back!” After a snippet of backstage footage, the band arrive on stage to rapturous applause and Berninger welcomes us back into their world.
With three albums released since their last tour there was a lot to choose from, but the show started with four of the first five tracks from the first of 2023’s albums, “First Two Pages of Frankenstein”. “Once Upon a Poolside” and “Eucalyptus” were representative of what the next two and a half hours would be like. Bring us down, only to bring us back up. This roller-coaster of emotions was real and all we could do was buckle ourselves in.
The enigma of Berninger is the focal point of most performances from the band and there’s little doubt that his stage theatrics contribute to the buzz that surrounds their live show. His charisma carries the band between songs as he declares that he left his “show shoes” in the hotel, so had to make do with some Blundstones for the gig. Ironically, despite the comedic nature of his banter at times, win some songs he withdraws, often hunched over or retreating to the back of the stage. The mannerisms of the singer are on full display and it’s hard to keep your eyes off him. Which is just as well, because there are times when it’s hard to find him!
In keeping with the mythology, the 53-year-old was active. On no less than four occasions, the lead singer jumped the barrier and connected in his own special way with his audience. It’s something that sets them apart from so many other groups, breaking that divide between the artist and the fan and really going deep. And we’re not just talking about a few rows deep, Berninger would venture as far as his lead would let him, taking in rows H to K on his quest to connect. How often do we, as a punter, get to sing – foreheads touching – with the lead singer of the band you’re watching and adore? It’s really quite astounding.
All the while, clambering over seats or wrapped around fans, he continues to sing in his trademark baritone, barely missing a beat except to let his fans sing with him. And then he returns to the stage, his lead coiled up again, his head down and retreating like nothing had just happened.
The show continued with a wide array of songs from their past. “Bloodbuzz Ohio”, despite being 14 years old (!), still stands up as a highlight from their catalogue. When you follow that up with “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness”, you have a real high-point in the set. As was the way, we were returned to earth with an intimate and beautiful rendition of “I Need My Girl”, Berninger getting so close to the mic, it felt like he was in all of our faces.
The Dessner twins were on full display the whole gig and jumped on the mic whenever there was a gap, giving their lead singer a chance to gather himself between the emotions of the songs. The guitarmanship of the two danced back and forth the entire gig, that symbiotic connection highlighted in the precise exchange of licks and solos from two very talented musicians.
In a show of such breadth, there was always going to be a bit of a lull and the middle portion of the set was just that. “Mistaken for Strangers” and “Humilation”, whilst solid songs, were certainly not the high point of the set, but “Murder Me Rachel” had portions of the crowd back on their feet and some very dedicated ‘dad dancing’, which – in itself – was entertaining to watch. As we neared the two hour mark of the show, it really kicked into gear. “Day I Die”, again with much crowd involvement, “Pink Rabbits” and culminating in “England” which built beautifully into the anthemic song that it is with the crowd yelling, “Afraid of the house, ’cause they’re desperate to entertain!”
This set the scene for the last few songs of the main set, “Fake Empire” ringing true, “Stay out super late tonight” and “Space Invader” being dedicated to the support acts. As a band, after performing two solid hours, you’d be excused for just coming out for one or two more and calling it a night, but in keeping with the theme of the band, they returned for a five-track encore, including one last crowd adventure in the upbeat “Mr. November” that had the crowd singing heartily along with Berninger as he got up close and personal.
The most touching moment of the night came at the end as the crowd sang “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks” along with Berninger in an intimate and personal release that – after such an epic performance – gave us ultimate closure. He pointed the microphone out to the audience who gave it their all, the mic stand even talking a trip through the middle of the crowd.
“I’ll explain everything to the geeks” is not a final line that you’d hear anywhere else but, as it rang out, the show was over. Berninger handed his boots to a lucky front-row fan and the mic stand to another (who probably didn’t get away with it). And so it was that The National exited the stage to hearty applause and a big satisfied sigh.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
The National, Fleet Foxes and Annie Hamilton play two nights in Melbourne on the 5th and 6th of March before rounding out their Australian tour in Perth on the 9th and 10th of March at the Kings Park and Botanic Garden.
