I had always heard good things about the band’s live shows and was particularly excited to see them for the first time. The venue was packed by the time I arrived, but I somehow managed to worm my way to the front right of the stage a few minutes before they were due to come on. The stage in the Brudenell is notably low, allowing those at the front to get an extraordinarily intimate experience of any gig.
Around nine thirty, the crowd began to cheer and Conor J O’Brien moved to center stage with his guitar. It was the first of a number of remarkable solo tracks that he would perform throughout the gig, and was an amazing start to the set. Following the thoughtful and almost comic ‘Cecilia and Her Selfhood’ a song about the vandalism of a long standing statue, the rest of the band came on stage and began playing tracks from the album. Previous releases such as ‘The Pact’ and ‘Becoming a Jackal’ went down particularly well with the audience. A five piece act in full including an incredibly whimsical keyboardist and a perfectionist guitarist, the band performed well together supporting Conor, seeming to almost bounce off each other on stage.
I have heard remarks before about the quality of Conor J. O’Brien’s voice and was certainly impressed by the album, but nothing can really prepare you for his live performance. While he easily managed the typical folk style, his energy really came out in some of the more loud and proud tracks. Emotionally distant and shy, yet with an incredible confidence and the odd bit of cheekiness, Conor’s vocal performance was remarkable. It was astonishing how far his voice travelled, he creating an echoing and reverbing sound by moving away from the microphone.
With the solo tracks incredible to watch, and the full band’s efforts inspiring, Villagers’ set turned out to be one of the most remarkably epic gigs I have seen in a long time and a fantastic start to the Live at Leeds weekend.