A couple of months ago, I had the immense pleasure of seeing Bon Iver perform live in Manchester. This is a band whose rise to popularity has been exceptionally quick. Long gone are lead-man Justin Vernon’s solitary days spent cooped up in a log cabin in north-western Wisconsin, penning tracks for Bon Iver’s debut LP, For Emma Forever Ago, arguably the best thing to come out of a messy break up since that lyrical masterpiece, Eamon’s F**k It (I Don’t Want You Back). Fast-forward to 2012 and he is fronting a group of incredible multi-instrumentalists, performing to packed out arenas all over the world. It’s pretty impressive really. And he’s mates with Kanye West…10 extra points for the bearded wonder.
I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of staging. Would they opt for Coldplay-esque magnitude with elaborate pyrotechnics, glow in the dark paint and a shower of confetti? I don’t think that’s really Vernon’s style, plus his elaborate facial hair might set on fire and that’s not good for anyone involved. Would they revert to their domicile roots, keeping it completely bare, stripped back and simple? The perfect medium, poised somewhere in between the two, is what they delivered. The set and lighting complemented the atmosphere perfectly rather than distracting from it. A hanging canopy of dishevelled material acted as a projection screen for swelling colours and patterns and, although there were candles, you’ll be pleased to know fire safety was adhered to at all times and Vernon left the stage with beard n’ tash in tact.
With a combination of tracks from their first EP and their latest, self-titled album, there was a balance between the personal and the spectacular, between intimacy and exhibition. From the electric opening notes of Perth, through militaristic rolling drums and Vernon’s signature falcetto to the feel-good acoustic finale of For Emma, backed by fan-fare trumpets and pretty much every voice in the stadium, the set list showcased the band’s incredible diversity in talent. I was even won over by their heartfelt rendition of Skinny Love, a song which I’ve struggled to listen to since it was ruined for me when Birdy covered it last year (thanks a lot for that, by the way). Thankfully, performed as part of their encore, I forgot about the horrific ordeal that was Birdy-gate and found myself reminded of the reasons why I loved the original. It was a kind of Kum Ba Yah, holding hands round a campfire moment, which somehow permeated to every corner of the vast space that was the arena. They definitely have a knack for that.
Since
September, rumours have been circulating about the possible split of the band
after Vernon aired his intention to ‘walk away from it for a while’ and allegedly,
on the last show of their tour, he announced that they wouldn’t be performing
together again any time soon. Whether he’s just taking a breather or this means
the end of Bon Iver remains to be seen, but I’m just glad I was one of the
lucky ones who had the opportunity to see their current line up in all its
glory. Here’s hoping Justin opts for a couple of weeks retirement back in the
Vernon-family log cabin before coming back fighting and better than ever.
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