I’ve seen Anathema play acoustically, and I’ve seen them play a full electric set – but this tour was something a little different. Described as ‘ambient acoustic’, stylistically the performance sat somewhere in between the two and it was a unique and special experience.
Opening with Springfield to the sold out room at The Deaf Institute, the scene was set well with a largely acoustic approach before progressing into a slightly fuller sound for The Lost Song, Part 2. An early highlight came in the form of Anathema, which featured a guest appearance from support act AVA’s violinist Anna Phoebe (who has also appeared with the band in the past!) and it was a treat to witness her add an extra sparkle to the music. Distant Satellites felt pretty magical, as did the rendition of Ariel which featured Danny and Lee perform it as a duet, and the closing tracks Untouchable (Parts 1 and 2) ended the show on a massive high. Additionally, the way the disco ball hanging from the ceiling was utilised in tandem with the lights for A Natural Disaster was excellent.
One of the things that was especially good about the show was the intimacy of it all. There was a good vibe between the band and the crowd, with several back-and-forth jokes shared between one another over the course of the evening. It felt more like an evening with a group of friends with casual chats between band members and people in the crowd – the gentle ribbing of the “tall tough-looking guy with a beard” yelling for the soft love song Temporary Peace was especially amusing, and the way Closer sounded with Vincent accidentally setting his voice synthesiser in the wrong key was hilarious (they had to stop and start again)!
Anathema always seem to find new ways to surprise and delight their fans with their live shows, and their Ambient Acoustic tour was another special treat. If they tour in this format again, I’ll certainly be heading to one of the shows again.
