SNOW PATROL Final Straw (Live)"Whenever we go anywhere new, we're like kids in a huge empty house. We want explore all these big spaces, climb into the attic and rake among boxes and get down into the basement and find the stuff that has been stashed away. For us the world could never be too big....." Gary LightbodyA quote that speaks to the roots of
Snow Patrol.
Snow Patrol began as a UK University duo who "clicked musically and...liked the same bands, so we thought 'Why not start one of our own?'" That is what lead singer, Gary Lightbody, and guitarist, Mark McClelland set out to do. Joined by drummer, Johnny Quinn, and bassist Eric Avery, they released their first album as
Snow Patrol in 1998. “Songs for Polar Bears” was hailed by critics as an "infectious pop punk racket with a distorted, amp-popping twist." It's style reflected the young musicians' far-ranging musical influences, which at the time included a strong draw to the American rock scene. However, with the early 21st century obsession with the boy-bands, "dancers who get vocal training," and a heavy dance-beat craze, the traditional, do-it-yourself bands were feeling the cold. This, a small indie record label, and a tight budget contributed to the limited success of “Songs for Polar Bears,” and the subsequent album. But now, almost seven years later, "It just feels like there's a bit of a revolution come to bands writing their own songs and who can play their instruments," comments drummer Johnny Quinn. With the release of their latest album,
Snow Patrol has ditched their small beginnings. “Final Straw” was deemed one of the top albums of the year and provided the band with their first charting hit in 2004. The same year they embarked on the first phase of their first US tour, the second phase of which found them Orlando-bound in May of this year.
House of Blues, Downtown Disney, May 27th, 2005.On the bill for the evening was featured artist,
Snow Patrol, with opener band,
Athlete. The atmosphere was close and friendly, seemingly appropriate for a band who found much of their influence in the casual and relaxed garage rock style. Says fan Meagan Shiwnarayan, "I'm happy it was at the House of Blues... You could really push yourself up, see the band better." Comments Turi Weichman, drummer for local band
Fletcher on the Right, "
Snow Patrol looked like they were having fun...they were good with the crowd, genuine."
The show overall was musically solid . While none of the band members were very technical in their style, the band was very together in their performance, pulling funky breaks easily and naturally.
Snow Patrol's sound was very typical of the American rock music scene, for the most part comprised of standard beats, and not harmonically complex. There was definite emphasis on song writing and stage performance. "None of it was bad music," says guitarist Ben Calhoun of local band
On the Soapbox, "that was the first time I had head them, though, and nothing really stood out; no particular melodies, or guitar work that was really unique." And that seems to be the general consensus of opinion. Although billed as the opening act, it appears that it was
Athlete that really stole the show.
"
Athlete rocked the house! " says Turi.
Athlete, also an emerging star on the UK indie rock scene, provided an interesting deviation from the main stream. This South London foursome debuted in 2003 with “Vehicles and Animals.” The band, made up of childhood friends drew a lot of their initial inspiration from the music of
Oasis. Their style has since emerged into an experimental indie rock all their own.
Athlete's performance at House of Blues followed their innovative style which gave it a peak. Comments Tom Moore, vocalist and songwriter for
On the Soapbox, "
Athlete had a pretty original sound; was a little more interesting in terms of the instrumentation and more of a sound that...is refreshingly different to most American Pop/Rock music." While still following the standard rock formats,
Athlete's music was more experimental and more complex. They used an interesting combination of traditional and electronic instruments which gave their music an almost hybrid rock/electronica feel.
Overall, this was a solid and reccommendable musical experience. "Good performance, good show...entertaining," says fan Sarah Jo Hart. Both bands are definitely worth a listen.
Snow Patrol and
Athlete toured together in the US through Spring of 2005. Check
Snow Patrol’s website for upcoming tour dates.
(http://snowpatrol.amrecords.com)
