Beach House

Sometimes it’s nice to be on the receiving end of a surprise, to have your expectations confounded. I had gone along to Beach House at the Riviera expecting a pleasant, if somewhat melancholy, show. I’ve been a fan of their music for a few years now, and I put the albums on during all the contexts in which I listen to music: walking around town, in the metro, peeling the spuds, having dinner, at night on the sofa along with a few bevvies. And while the music is good and often excellent — an aural treat, mesmerising, otherworldly — and Victoria Legrand’s voice is wonderful and uniquely deep and smoky, at certain times and in certain doses it lacks the required energy, gusto and vim to truly grab hold of me. My big surprise last Sunday was that Beach House live are better than on record. The washed-out drear that sometimes leaves me cold when I listen to their records is replaced by a dynamism and aggression that for me lifts Beach House into the realm of the great live acts I’ve seen.

Last Sunday wasn’t just about Beach House being louder* than on record. Loud does not mean good. You can be loud and appalling — Donald Trump is proof of this. Beach House were loud, but they were also a whole panoply of stuff which, as an old goth and shoegazer, tickled me as pink as the sleeve of Loveless. They were brooding, they were menacing, they were aggressive, creepy, disturbing, distorted. When you read any review of Beach House or go to their entry on Wikipedia a you cannot escape the D-word: dream pop. But live, my friends, Beach House are anything but dreamy. “Enter Sandman” eat your heart out, because Beach House are taking over your nightmare.
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Road House blues!

Beach House’s sound rests on three pillars (to co-opt that contemptible and ubiquitous business-speak term): Victoria Legrand’s voice; Alex Scally’s guitar; and Victoria Legrand’s keyboards. On Sunday last, all three were not just standing tall, but had grown in stature compared to the restricted dimensions afforded to them in the recording studio. Sometimes compared to Dusty Springfield, Victoria Legrand is the lucky owner of a voice that is both unmistakable and so amazing that the word “gift” is almost always invoked. The voice’s standard setting is low and husky, but it does do high and sweet. Victoria Legrand uses her voice masterfully: it has the clout to knock listeners over the head with its sheer power, like one of those wannabe divas on The X Factor whose winning strategy is to scream the house down, but she uses it as a painter would her brush, dotting splashes of colour and emotion where needed and wanted. Live, the voice is spine tingling. Unlike on record, she let loose a few times and nearly blew a path, Gandalf-like, through the crowd. As a keyboard play, she’s no dunce either. Most songs are driven by her chords and arpeggios. Her rhythmic style and the pads and synth sounds she uses put much of the dream (or otherwise) in Beach House’s pop. She proves that a frontwoman who stands behind a keyboard isn’t necessarily a yawn-factor. She somehow manages to combine being static with dramatic dynamism — her headbanging as she plays and gesturing with whatever hand happens to be free draws the interested eye every bit as much as a hyperactive, twerking Ke$ha/Mylie/Taylor.

Another reason why Beach House should never work live (at least visually) is that Alex Scally sits down for many of the songs. Every bit as anti-rock ‘n’ roll as having your lead singer stuck behind a keyboard, his sit-down style is as distinctive as his bandmate’s voice. He rarely strums or bashes out power chords, but picks out notes to intertwine with voice and keyboard. Many of the songs (“Myth” and “Zebra” for example) hang on Alex Scally’s hooks and melodies, which range from the deceptively simple to the baroque. His sound is somewhere in between Robin Guthrie and David Roback, less spacey than the Cocteaus but less blue than Mazzy Star. It is remarkable that more than three decades have passed since the post-punk explosion but someone like him can still pull a unique and recognisable combination of style of play and choice of effects out of the air — because it is true that he really does sound like no one else. On the night, just like his partner in chime (!), Alex Scally’s sound was more robust than on record. Songs were driven with more urgency and aggression and there was even something of the tormented guitar hero in the way he bashed and twisted and turned the neck of his instrument. As you would expect, there were no five-minute solos, but a degree of improvisation added plenty of new twists to some of the familiar songs.

I read somewhere that Victoria Legrand is a fan of David Lynch. Indeed, Beach House have a song (“Silver Soul”) for which the chorus goes “it is happening again” — a well known catchphrase from Twin Peaks. There is something distinctly lynchian about the atmosphere the band create in a live context. More than once I looked towards the stage and felt I was in the Road House watching the house band, or even in the Red Room hearing secrets I could never understand. It’s the weird sweetness of their sound, their 1950s structures with a nightmare twist that transports one to the Bookhouse or the Black Lodge. I can easily see them soundtracking the new Twin Peaks, if it ever appears.
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From a distance!

The icing on the cake of a great concert was Victoria Legrand’s humour and warmth. In between songs she built up a rap about the cheesiness of the venue (it has a fake oasis as its central bar) and then got on to the serious topic of what happened in Paris the week before (she was born in France). She thanked us for venturing out to see the band with all that was going on. We cannot thank them enough for keeping the flag flying for challenging and arresting live music.

*Being a loud live act in Spain has the advantage of drowning out the chatter of those that come to a gig to catch up with their buddies and generally chew the fat.

Ever since 'Apple Orchard' way back in 2006 I have followed and revelled in the music of Beach House and watching them live just compounds what an amazing band they are.
This was my fourth time of seeing Victoria and Alex perform live, my first time at the Troxy and I was not disappointed, these guys deliver in spades and the ninety minute set is gone before you have time to catch your breath.
They covered a great back catalogue of tracks and obviously show-pieced many songs from their latest offering; 7.
Right from the opening of 'Leviathan' it was pretty apparent the Baltimore duo were on form and raring to give the audience what they had come for.
My only regret, purely personal, was they did not play the finely anthemic 'Irene' however, it did not detract from what was a real spectacle.
Having seen them perform before to muted monochrome sets or fairly simple lighting displays, the Troxy performance was backed by a stunning exhibition of light, colour, smoke, silhouettes and back-screen images.
A stunning amalgam of dazzling stage display and the finest dream-pop you'll ever hear delivered with utter professionalism and with just a dash of ad-lib which Beach House only serve to bring their audience even closer.
Never seen them live? Do yourself a favour and lose yourself in the presence and music of one of the best contemporary rock/pop/ambient bands around.
Oh, and by the way, their support band whose name I irritatingly missed but will endeavour to find out, were absolutely superb too, a really exciting drum and synth duo also from Baltimore who delivered a blistering set of high-octane electronica performed by two exceptionally accomplished musicians.

Thank you Beach House, 'til the next time, play on.

Phil Jarvis, aged fifty five and a quarter.

There are few bands that can match the surreal beauty of Beach House and seeing them live was something I had to do. I wanted to experience this dream pop duo as they were meant to be heard and not just how they were recorded on the album.

I went to see them at a smaller venue, holding only a couple hundred people. As soon as I arrived, there was a line to go in. Beach House was more popular then I thought. It took me a few minutes to get in, but I still had a good spot by the time the opening bands had played. When Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally took the stage the crowd went still. I don’t think anyone was sure what to expect. The recordings are so soft but strong, would the live performance be the same?

Just then the band started playing “Myth” one of their most popular songs. Everyone got into it. Most had their hands in the air, swaying, dancing, and feeling the music.

Victoria’s vocals were spot on the whole set, both moody and powerful. Alex was great as well playing a simple and overwhelming sound from his guitar. The show closed with the song “Zebra” a true crowd favorite. The song seemed to rock the crowd to sleep. Sadly, as it ended the band left the stage. I think we all could have listened to that set forever.

This was the first proper concert I'd ever been to, and it was spectacular. They really, really don't disappoint in their performance. Victoria is stunning and her voice is magic. The lights and everything were great too - props to their team.

When they started playing 'Walk in the Park', it made me so inexplicably happy I almost cried haha - and that was just their second song in! They played pretty much all the songs I was hoping they'd play: Levitation, Walk in the Park, 10 Mile Stereo, Silver Soul, Beyond Love, Space Song, All Your Yeahs, Elegy to the Void - god, they almost didn't play 'Sparks' and that would have left me so so disappointed.
Thankfully, they came on for an encore and that was their last song of the night. The performance felt way too short, and when Victoria came back on stage, she said something like "thank you for coming before we leave Melbourne forever". Ahhh forever?!

The only issue I had was with the crowd which seemed pretty dead (or at least the people around me), and they were more consumed with filming the performance than really getting into the music - which was unfortunate. The girl next to me was frigid and kept checking her phone like she couldn't wait for it to end.

Despite only forming in 2004, dream pop duo Beach House have already received great critical acclaim and are beginning to be recognised worldwide. Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, USA, the dreamy duo have been praised for their ethereal sound and indie rock talent. Hearing them perform live is a million times more magical than hearing them recorded: they are simply one of those bands that demand to be seen live, in their natural form. Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally are a beautiful pair: Victoria’s phenomenal vocals, beautiful and soft yet strong, harmonise perfectly with Alex’s skillful guitar strumming. They have great chemistry on stage and really are a wonder to watch. One of the nicest things about their gig was the intimate atmosphere, mostly created by the rather small venue, that really suited the band’s style and sound. The room captured their sounds without losing any to muffled echoes. The crowd swayed, clapped and waved their hands along to such hits like ‘Zebra’ and ‘Myth’ but in large part, remained silent so as not to disturb a single moment of the magic going on on stage.

This is the third time I see Beach House, and frankly, it will be the last if they don't reinvent their live act. The first two times were at festivals where they played late, and people where drunk and chatty, so I was hoping that a designated act on a Tuesday evening would present a different experience, but unfortunately it didn't. The show is quite stale, and certainly not fitting for a standing crowd. I think it could be an enjoyable experience if it was at a concert hall with seating and impeccable sound, but when the stage performance consists of light and not much else--as per usual the three band members barely moved, and seeing their silhouettes was about as personal as it got--and the rest of the setting is essentially a rock-'n'-roll gig, there's just something that doesn't add up. On a positive note a few of the songs did have an extra layer of dynamism in their live form--Space Song and Lazuli come to mind.

Overall, though, I was hoping that third time would be a charm, but I left disappointed.

Dream pop duo Beach House have achieved a universal critical acclaim and global notoriety in their short spanning career. Thanks to the near perfection of the first three studio albums and proficiently designed live show, fans sell out the group's fleeting appearances as soon as tickets are available.

They were offered the honour of headlining the Big Top stage at Latitude Festival 2013 which is a known celebration of all things indie and performed with a surreal expertise. The glowing colours, impactful synth and droning bass tones came together in a truly indescribable way as Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally carefully led their audience through a detailed and well thought out setlist. 'Bloom' has been there most successful release thus far so therefore a large majority of the setlist was comprised of these tracks including immaculate versions of 'New Year' and 'Wild' whilst older fans were rewarded for their dedication with an airing of 'Zebra' and 'Silver Soul'.

One of my favourite band to listen to whenever because they chase the anxiety so efficiently and never fails to put me on a rocketship, directly to space. You feel the same calmness as when the night has fallen and all is asleep and silent.
Their live show perfectly recreates that. The atmosphere you feel in their music is recreated with the darkness of the room and the really amazing light show they put on. Often, on my favourite songs, the show hold my emotions very tightly. It was very magical and ethereal. But i am this enthusiastic about this because their songs already please me so much. It's deffo a chill concert, that can transport you to another universe. And even though it was my first time at the back of the room, i still enjoyed it very v much. so glad i was them and really hope i can see them again live!

What a great concert! They're surely great musicians and I had great expectations for this one! They covered more musics from the last 2 albuns, mostly from Depression Cherry (Levitation, Beyond Love, Sparks, PPP) as expected but they also played musics from the previous (and not only the most popular ones). Heartbreaker, the first music that Alex and Vitoria composed together, Wishes and Walk in the Park were an example <3 They managed to create the appropriate atmosphere, dazing and introspective, and the stars from the Bloom album cover projected behind them were just magical. Finishing with Irene was the cherry on top of the cake for me. I'm eager to see them again as soon as I can and thankfull to my lucky stars for being there <3

This is the third city I've had the pleasure of seeing Beach House in. Outside beneath the stars or indoors, this band always has the power to penetrate your very being and make you feel all the regret or nostalgia that the singer, Victoria Legrand is trying to convey with her deep, echo-ed voice. Older tracks had me singing along, almost clutching my chest to hold in all the emotion and unknown tracks had me excited at the prospect of a new album. Although the rest of the band, Alex Scally included were on the quiet side, Legrand's brief interactions with the crowd in between songs kept the show light-hearted and feeling more intimate. Definitely a band I will see live, again and again.