Music / Reviews
Review: Sea Power, Trinity – ‘Full of full-on indie rock bangers’
Sea Power returned to Bristol to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Do You Like Rock Music? What better way to do it than an intimate show to their die-hard community of fans.
I was excited to get word last minute to cover this one as I’d seen Sea Power several times over the years in support slots and in sunny festival sets, I was excited to see them in a small venue and with people who are here solely to see them.
As I arrived to see Callum Eatser on stage all lit up in white vigorous flashing lights with Sea Powers trademark trees all around them. With Callum’s music being new to me I was excited to discover a new artist who I’ve seen name around for years.
is needed now More than ever
The band seem very close, literally as they are packed in on top of each other with Sea Power’s kit all around them.
He is to be seen wielding his accordion in one hand and programming electronic beats simultaneously. It seems that each song has a spontaneity to it as there seems to be a brief discussion before each song as to how to play them.
The result is intensely uplifting music with the accordion taking centre stage.
Callum smiles devilishly before playing a new song with the crowd now full and listening intently. Feeling’s Gone is a live delight, the accordion sound fills the trinity’ hall and sounds epic.
The beats are programmed loud and stomp along as the drummer beats the hell out of his kit forming a very raw crescendo of ascending noise.
The band exit the stage to heavy distorted beats, which I was wondering if it would ever stop. An intensely enjoyable introduction to an artist I feel I will see again.
I’m now in a room of very excited people here to Sea Power. With weird computerised voices repeating ‘do you like rock music?’, the band jump on stage and into the albums opener.
It is an ideal live opener with its repetitive refrain “we’re all in it and we close our eyes” summing up the feeling I get at a lot of gigs, a communal space for us to enjoy live music.
The trees are now all lit up as I’m reminded of how much I love everything about the charm of the Trinity; watching a band you love here is a treat.
They fly into Lights Out for Darker Skies with everything they’ve got, the riff splitting me in to an reforming me as a now energised Sea Power fan.
Waving Flags is a masterpiece, so infectious I could listen to it all night, if you don’t enjoy this song you may be at the wrong gig, Wilkinson’s vocals are pristine for this one too.
The temperature was rising high during this one which lead to someone fainting beside me, thankfully he was attended to quickly by the staff and the crowd.
Canvey Island is loud brash and in your face rock music.
“A TRIP TO BRIZZLE!” Wilkinson exclaims with joy as Trip Out feels like summer on a winter’s night, the song as it all, drums like bullets as the band all energetically interchange and move around the stage.
Do You Like Rock Music? is full of full-on indie rock bangers. The energy in the room rises increment after increment as does guitarist Martin Noble as he flies over my head to surf the trinity crowd with a quick up and back to the oily stage.
The night ends with a hit filled encore where the intro to Remember Me has everyone around me jumping around in sweaty happiness. A glorious moment.
This joy is then mirrored as they belt out Carrion. The crowd were very pleased. We are brought back to earth back where the gig started with All In It.
This gig left me with a buzz and a live music energy I didn’t have before, it reignited my love for Sea Power once again.
Main photo: Matt Barnes
Read next:
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
