The Coral, O2 Institute, Birmingham - review
There is something undeniably calming about listening to or watching The Coral.
Their laid-back, placid attitude spreads to the audience. The off-kilter laziness of that twanged rock sound. The happiness that seems to emanate from most of the choruses they write.
Why The Coral’s albums aren’t prescribed on the NHS to combat stress and anxiety I don’t know.
And the warmth and all-welcoming nature of their O2 Institute Birmingham set was just the tonic for this dank, chilly Friday night to kick October off.
Support was provided by She Drew The Gun. It was a celebratory day for them.
Their second record – Revolution Of Mind – was out on The Coral’s own Skeleton Key Records.
Yet that excitement just didn’t come out in a rather bleak, bland set that lacked oomph and enjoyment despite the best efforts of the crowd to cheer them on.
One track off their first record – Pit Pony – provided some momentary brilliance with its chilling keys and relentless percussion. But it was almost alone.
The Coral, in contrast, were as brilliant as ever.
Sweet Release was our first taste of the Magic and Medicine they concoct on stage and straight away the crowd were lulled into a state of fixation.
Their lighting was (eye-watering spotlights aside) as calming as their music. Hazy smoke billowed past them as beams shone up from the floor behind them to silhouette their movements while lighting up monolithic letters spelling out their name on the back wall.
And it added to the haunting feeling created by some of their spookier tracks such as Outside My Window from recent album Move Through The Dawn.
The crowd really came to life for Jacqueline from 2007’s Roots & Echoes. It brought the first real karaoke moment of the evening and pint glasses and fingers (and those pesky mobile phones) were poked skywards.
They can also do opposites. The drifting acoustics of Pass it On – one of this writer’s favourite ever songs – contrasted to the angry, gritty guitars of Holy Revelation, but each sounded equally good.
And the uplifting, rising synths of Miss Fortune showed yet another side to this multi-talented collective. Just like the two mentioned above it sat right at home in this set.
A cool little cover of The Yardbirds’ Heart Full Of Soul was thrown in, before the huge guitar outro to Stormbreaker really shook the walls and checked the Institute’s foundations were still structurally sound.
James Skelly and Paul Molloy combine effortlessly to slam their guitars when they find themselves in the mood.
And after a slightly overlong pause they were back for more, and had a real treat in store for us.
The riffs that make up Goodbye, from their 2002 self-titled debut record, are gripping. The instrumental in that track will convert even the biggest doubters.
Tonight, they ramped that up to 11. The extended, antagonistic version witnessed here was one of the greatest tracks these ears have heard performed. No exaggeration. It slashed and swung from side to side with vim and vigour.
And they closed with that eternally popular hit Dreaming Of You. This was like a cathedral united in praise of the lord, a mass karaoke where not one word was missed.
We are lucky enough to have witnessed these guys three times in the space of just over a year. And they never disappoint, ever.
