anika in london

Review: Wildbirds & Peacedrums at The Lexington

Lucky number 11. The eleventh time I’ve seen this band, and they still hold their crown as my favourite live band. 100% awesome 100% of the time. The Swedish duo have made an album this year which features a choir… their last London show had the choir in tow, and their next one (November at Union Chapel) will also feature the choir, so this was a ’special’ ‘normal’ show with just the pair of them, Mariam and Andreas. I’m firmly of the belief that every Wildbirds show from here on will be very special. In fact, I’m pretty sure all the times I’ve seen them have felt very special. They’re just an incredible band; completely unique.

They played a mixture of new songs as well as some older ones too. Favourites ‘There Is No Light’ and ‘Places’ made their way into the set, as well as ‘the first song they ever wrote’ (featuring the ‘wildbird’ lyric that I guess they take their name from) ‘The Window’. Mariam’s voice is incredible. She came away from the mic, right to the front of the stage and everyone listened intently. Incredible.

Secondly, Mariam is such a charismatic frontwoman; while she sings she looks completely possessed. She’s SO into the music. A perfect illustration of how into it she is came last night, when during ‘The Drop’, a beautifully sad, tender song, a sound tech managed to crawl onto the stage and pull out the wrong mic cable. Mariam stopped abruptly and looked as though she had been woken from a dream; genuinely shocked. She put her hand on her heart and looked at Andreas and commented on it, looking genuinely saddened. Everyone just watched in silence. She seemed really shaken! She took a moment to compose herself and then started the song again, with an encouraging cheer and applause from the crowd. I love that she plays with so much passion and energy and really pours her emotion into her performance, it’s a beautiful thing.

They did ‘Liar/Lion’ also from ‘The Snake’ and more newer ones like the brilliant ‘Wave’. Thirdly, Mariam is a multi tasking supremo. Working bass pedals, playing steel drum and singing all at once is no easy task and she does it so brilliantly.

Andreas is just one of the most incredible drummers I’ve ever seen live. So much texture and interesting little parts to his pieces. Such an animated drummer too. Really, completely phenomenal. Together, they’re stunning. They feed off each other’s energy and it’s really intense.

Soon came time for my favourite… ‘My Heart’!!!!! Yes. It was brilliant. Mariam did that pause that lasts about 1 second but feels like about a year. It’s the best.

I love this band completely. They always manage to impress me. Love them.