★★★★ 4/5

As a first time goer, I genuinely did not know what to expect from an Alt-J gig. The choice of venue (everyone seated) suggested that it wasn’t going to be a show for the mosh-pit and sing-along lovers. It allowed the audience to thoroughly enjoy the performance and truly immerse themselves in the music, as if Alt-J were telling me to just “sit down and watch”.

Since Alt-J announced the tour to promote their new album of collaborations, REDUXER, I was intrigued to find out how the band was going to craft a show involving so many features. To my disappointment – apparently only mine, since everyone else seemed to appreciate – all we saw of the artists that took part in the making of the album was projections in the background: Danny Brown during Deadcrush, Paigey Cakey and Hex for Adeline, and Pusha T at the end of Cold Blood.

The 20-song setlist was otherwise a well-balanced selection of tracks from all Alt-J albums. I had the impression the performance was going slightly down the monotony way, after the first songs like Something Good, Every Other Freckle and 3WW. Most likely, the choice of playing Bloodflood and Nara consecutively didn’t help, as they are both quite lengthy and repetitive tracks. But with Hunger of the Pine and Matilda the show regained its energy and secured it through to the explosive encore, when the band invited the audience to stand up and dance to the notes of Left Hand Free, In Cold Blood and Breezeblocks.

More interaction with the public could have prevented this, but Alt-J have a reputation of being introvert geniuses and this is reflected in their performance. They rarely address the crowd, with Gus Unger-Hamilton saying it was “great to be back” only after a few songs broke the ice. The fans seemed desperate for some communication from the band and exulted when, introducing the bridge in Breezeblocks, Joe Newman sang: “Please don’t go, I love you so… Glasgow!”

The fact that Alt-J do not expose themselves too much during their performance actually adds up to the beauty of it. The three members stand in a tight line, divided and surrounded by light columns, and often disappear in the intricate light illusions. All that is left is pure, musical performance, as befits the on-stage attitude of the band.

If the choir at the end of Adeline gives you goosebumps, you can’t help the tears every time Newman sings “I just want to love in you in my own language” in 3WW, and the flashes of brass in In Cold Blood feel more triumphant at every listening, imagine the emotional charge of a live performance. The whole thing graced with charming lighting, perfectly blended with the music. But the most spectacular thing of all is that these three guys alone on stage are able to put together such a complex show.

For Alt-J’s folktronica is complex. It is not complicated – although most of the lyrics are obscure enough – but it is made up of a myriad of elements. Unveiling every layer of the music, from all the instruments and voices to the references found in the lyrics, becomes part of the pleasure of listening to their music. Live, every emotion is amplified, and layers are added by the spectacle of lights.

We are brought back to reality and remember the human component in the performance when Joe Newman starts Taro completely out of tune, even forgetting the lyrics. Somehow, any technical imperfections add to the complexity of the performance rather than ruining it, and Alt-J remain an excellent live band, besides being notorious perfectionists in the studio.

For those who attended the RELAXER tour: expect barely anything new. The new album is entirely built around the concept of collaboration, so the tour lacks some new material in this sense, although we must acknowledge the logistical difficulties of gathering so many artists.

If it’s your first time, as corny as it might sound, expect a cathartic experience that will leave you wanting more.

Words By: Sara Paciaroni

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