Reading's Sub89 is a fantastic venue. I've had the pleasure of attending several gigs there of late and I've always had a great evening. Granted the majority of the gigs I've been to have been nowhere near sold out, but there have always been enough people there to make it a good night. Tonight is no exception. As Nordic Giants take the stage, there's probably about seventy or so people there who quickly fill up the dance floor and prepare themselves to be blown away.
Having not seen Nordic Giants before, I was interested to see what they had to offer. The dual screens on the stage flicker into life and begin to weave a futuristic tale concerning the collapse of society accompanied by an intricate score from the heavily costumed duo that comprise the band. What follows is a phenomenal show from an obviously incredibly talented pair of performers who play all manner of instruments between them including trumpets and an intriguing guitar / violin bow combination. The pairing of short film visuals and the music make for an awesome immersive experience and I particulary enjoyed picking out the animated homages to films such as The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Ponyo, The Wall and Summer Wars among others. If you do get the opportunity to catch these guys I would highly recommend it, especially if you're a fan of horror and sci fi.
On to the main event and 65daysofstatic launch headfirst into the evening. Opening with the anthemic Heat Death Infinity Splitter sets the bar for the rest of the evening extremely high and the band look like they are not out to disappoint. The evening is justifiably focused on tracks from their most recent album, Wild Light but there are also tunes there to keep fans of their earlier releases happy including the outstanding Retreat! Retreat! with Matt DIllon's samples from Singles being the closest the band come to having a lyric over the course of the show. As the audience lose themselves to the music, so too do the band and after what feels like far too brief a period of time it's all over barring a fantastic rendition of what the band state is probably the first tune they ever wrote and which is gratefully received by a satiated crowd who see them off the stage with rapturous applause.
The UK music scene currently has some amazing talent on offer and 65daysofstatic are most definitely at the forefront of that offering. Tonight's show is absolute proof were it ever needed that we no longer live in an age where bands require a traditional line up in order to captivate audiences. The post-rock/instrumental scene is definitely on the rise and I cannot urge you enough to get out there and try some of it. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.