Death Cab For Cutie - Rock City, Nottingham, 15 November 2008

Death Cab For Cutie are probably as big as a cult band can get; hugely popular over in America where over the course of 6 albums in ten years they have built up a sizeable following, peaking in recent album 'Narrow Stairs' reaching number 1 on its first week of release. Yet on this side of the pond they are only known by a minority, which probably goes someway to explain why tonight's show at Rock City isn't sold out.

That doesn't mean that the near capacity crowd in Rock City wasn't bustling with excitement. Although the band threw a curve ball by opening with the subdued The Employment Pages off 2000s 'We Have The Facts and We're Voting Yes', followed by another slow burner in Your Heart Is An Empty Room. But things definitely start to pick up when Death Cab For Cutie threw themselves in to a thunderous Why You'd Want To Live Here, after which both band and crowd definitely get in to the swing of things; Ben Gibbard jumps and swings around with his guitar at any given opportunity, whilst the Rock City audience are in fine voice singing along to almost everything, including a touching rendition of Grapevine Fires.

For a band well versed in gentle, soothing slow-burners, tonight's set list has rather upbeat celebratory feel to it, with the band serving up a selection of energetic arty alt-rockers. Company Calls is a personal favourite and the band deliver it with twitchy aplomb. Whilst the krautrock influence on newy 'Narrow Stairs' is represented with No Sunlight, Long Division and the epic I Will Possess Your Heart with its call-and-response guitar and piano. Tonight, Cath reminds me of REMs Time After Time, Crooked Teeth's jagged guitars seduce Rock City with its new-wave energy, and Soul Meets Body is still as addictive as smoking crack.

Death Cab For Cutie came to prominence over here in 2003 with the album 'Transatlanticism', and aside from New Year, We Looked Liked Giants and the set-closer The Sound Of Settling, the majority of the set is plucked from more recent offerings, 'Plans' and 'Narrow Stairs'. But the band, surely aware of the LPs importance in the record collections of many people in the crowd, treat the audience to a Transatlanticism-heavy encore. First though, they have another extra special treat, the band play super early, never been played in the UK before, Technicolour Girls. Then they finish off what has been a joyous night with Title and Registration, Expo 86, and the title track from 'Transatlanticism'.

By playing a set that doesn't focus on any particular release, yet still manages to move and inspire the Rock City audience. Death Cab For Cutie have proven that they are currently one of the great American bands.

Setlist:
The Employment Pages
Your Heart Is An Empty Room
New Year
Why You'd Want To Live Here
Crooked Teeth
No Sunlight
Grapevine Fires
Summer Skin
Soul Meets Body
I Will Follow You Into The Dark
I Will Possess Your Heart
Cath
We Looked Like Giants
Company Calls
Long Division
The Sound Of Settling

Encore:
Technicolour Girls
Title And Registration
Expo 86
Transatlanticism

This was originally written for LeftLion

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