Alcest / The Devil’s Trade – Live at SWX Bristol
Alcest / The Devil’s Trade
SWX Live, Bristol
16/10/2023
Live Review & Photographs by Paul Hutchings
They say you never forget your first time. That was certainly the case with French shoegazers Alcest. August 10th, 2012, in the Sophie Lancaster Tent at Bloodstock Open Air. An intoxicating, heady mix that allowed time to stop, a combination of pummelling black metal and ethereal nostalgia, it was something magical. Since then, I’ve seen them many times, and they never fail to deliver.
There is a fine mixture of fans at SWX tonight. This included the glorious sight of Big Jeff, thankfully making a slow recovery from last year’s awful fire. The venue is full but not to the point of discomfort. That’s probably the right mix, for there is a lot of concentration needed. This is clever, cerebral music that requires attention and focus.
The Devil’s Trade
Driving across the M4 to Bristol, my first encounter with support band The Devil’s Trade left me slightly bewildered. It certainly fitted with the main event, but there was some uncertainty about what we’d get. The band’s latest album “Vidékek Vannak Idebenn” (a title that loosely translates to “There Are Landscapes Within”) presents as a sober, folk tinged affair. We don’t get that though. Badged as Dark Doom Folk, the band are the project of Hungarian Dávid Makó. Four albums in, he’s the sole credit on the Season of Mist site.
Tonight, he’s got long-time friend and former bandmate Gáspár Binder on drums with a live keyboard player. It’s a sonic triumph as the trio, bathed in pinks and reds, cast their own spell over the audience. It’s up tempo in part, a harder edge live than Makó delivers on his own. It works, with the audience lapping it up. There’s not a lot of talking between songs, just a simple show of gratitude before the final song. Content to let the music swirl and captivate, there’s not much wrong. At times you hear gasps of delight. It’s spine tingling. There’s a lot to unpack. Maybe too much for the first live experience but there is ample food for thought. The Devil’s Trade earn hearty applause. You can’t ask for much more.
https://www.facebook.com/TheDevilsTrade
Superlatives are usually redundant when Alcest hit the stage. Tonight is no exception, for this performance was first class. This tour is a celebration for the anniversary of “Écailles de Lune”; by my reckoning the 13th anniversary but who cares, it’s lucky for us, as we are treated to a heavenly experience from Neige, Winterhalter, Zero and Indria. It’s a rare opportunity to hear the opening duo from the album, but ‘Écailles de lune Parts 1 and 2’ which start the evening are played in all their glory.
I’m rapidly transported back to that tent in Derbyshire as the ninety-minute set bewitches. It’s almost a spiritual event, with eyes closed, heads rocking in unison as the band switch from their Post-Black Metal to their deeper Shoegaze elements in an instant. The fact that I don’t understand a word that is sung is irrelevant. This is an evening where cinematic soundscapes are painted in the air, where fans can punch the air or weep with joy, exhale deeply or thrash their hair along with the more explosive parts; of which there are many.
Atmosphere enhanced by a light show and dry ice swirl around the stage for most of the set, it’s a setlist that could have been handpicked by the hardened fan. Three more from “Écailles de Lune” mean that the album provides close to half the songs performed, but nothing is neglected. There’s a song from every album, including a perfectly delivered ‘Sapphire’ from the last album “Spiritual Instinct”, amazingly already four years old.
Niege is the humblest of frontmen. He’s got an affinity with this city, having played here many times, most recently at 2022’s Arctangent and again in October 2022 with Cradle of Filth. His words are gentle, thankful, almost overcome by the huge reception. It’s fully deserved, for this is a flawless show. Even the encore is perfect. ‘Autre temps’ receives the reception you would expect, before ‘Délivrance’ from “Shelter” elicits one last gasp from the entranced crowd.
Few bands cast such a spell. Few bands are like Alcest.
https://www.facebook.com/alcest.official
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Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Paul Hutchings and Ever Metal. Photography the property of Paul Hutchings. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
