As of late this cyber space has been as limp as Heather Mills’ prosthetic leg and I believe we have moved on from our prepubescent writings to the awkward teenage years where words sparsely pass through our dry lips. The reasons for the mental breakdown of Red Light Fever boil down to a number of self-indulgent factors. Most notably fear. That fear of writing utter shit that reads so awkwardly pretentious you wished your laptop had just slammed shut, breaking your fingers and crushing those poisoned words, saving yourself the embarrassment of writing material not even worthy of publication in Girl Talk. My self-indulged literary fear and the consequential silencing of Red Light Fever could not have come at a worse time either. These past few months have been disgustingly brilliant in the world of aural and visual delights. Lars Von Trier’s Melancholia hit our screens as did Sufjan Stevens hit the tour bus with his Age of Adz tour. Björk released her comeback Biophilia, Beyoncé titillated Glastonbury, Amy sang her swan song, The Cure headlined Bestival, Westlife announced their tragic split. You know, the list of astounding musical and cinematic events just goes on and on. So where has my sudden desire to write and to be heard come from after months in the desert? Why has my fear of literary embarrassment subsided? Three words! Bon Iver Live!After deliberating with myself for twenty two hours how much doller I was prepared to dish out on e-bay for a Bon Iver Manchester Apollo ticket, I crumpled under the pressure when it came to the final minute of bidding. Standing at an already pricey £36.80 (face value £22.50) and with only one minute to spare I waged war on e-bay users e***r and t****4.
E***r… £44.50… *t****4 £48.90… e***r £50.10… t****4 £55.10… redlightfever £67.20. *Bidding closed*.
Let me begin by apologizing for my forthcoming words for I‘m still revelling in last nights events. In short, Bon Iver live at the Manchester Apollo was perhaps one of the most amazing musical events I’ve witnessed this year. I did have slight reservations before I was seated in row GG seat 24 as to how they were going to compromise the differing sounds of debut record For Emma, Forever Ago and this years self-titled album Bon Iver. These concerns were soon replaced as both sounds complemented one another and balanced out quite beautifully. The incorporation of the generally heavier bass and echoed drum sounds of Bon Iver fused with the delicate instrumental ensemble of For Emma created something unexplainably special. The original minimalist and somewhat shy sounding Blood Bank taken from For Emma grew into a bold and gallant anthem as its performance evolved and matured. This progression continued with surprisingly synthed renditions of Lump Sum and Team, clearly influenced by Bon Iver’s homage to 80’s synth Beth/Rest –Phil Collins would have stood proud.
"
Ending the set with The Wolves (act I and act III) was nothing short of genius. The bond created between artist and audience by this point was unbreakable. The amalgamation of Justin Vernon’s soporific voice accompanied with lyrics that would even make Donne soil himself, created an undeniable sensitivity throughout the entire Apollo. A sensitivity that left us all feeling a little vulnerable, a little broken hearted. I left the Apollo, and for the first time ever I had nothing to say about the performance. No desire to converse, discuss, debate. Leaving the venue was like closing a diary after a heavy session of spilling all your bottled thoughts onto its pages. Personal and complete.
I urge you to go see Bon Iver perform live…. Now!!