February Second brought a little Celt band ‘Matthew and the Atlas’ to Islington, London to play a venue they’d wanted to for a while. One of the hidden gems in London is the ‘Union Chapel’ which is exactly as it sounds, it is literally a chapel. The audience sit in the pews in a beautiful chapel having bought tea in mugs – since they don’t sell alcohol or glasses. The unique setting fit with the acoustic music of the support acts and most of the Matthew and the Atlas songs. Occasionally for the faster songs the pews felt a little limiting to the audiences want to move.
The five piece started with a slower song, immediately collecting the attention of every single person in the room. Lead by Matthew Hegarty the beautiful and unsettling music of the five musicians sends shivers down the audience’s spine and transport them to the Scottish Highlands. Matthew and the Atlas have been likened to bands such as Bon Iver and Mumford and Songs but to me there is something in the gravelly rough vocals, multiple harmonies and gentle riffs that are unique to them. Potentially the vocals were drowned out a little for the first songs, but this was soon rectified. The acoustics of the chapel were perfect for their harmonies. The audience were so receptive, sometimes their cheering louder than what was being said on stage. This being said, the pews made an almost divide that made it feel uncomfortable to sing along or bounce to the music which many of the audience, especially the guy sitting next to me, seemed to want to do.
For me the highlight of the night was Modern World. Hegarty invited two friends onto the stage to play the horns alongside the band. This brought a bigger depth to the music and a rich beauty. Emma Gatrill’s harmonies were particularly noticeable, almost eerily she harmonised with Hegarty creating a beautiful ambience. When not playing the keyboard/synth she, like the horns, brought depth to the music by playing the clarinet.
Their encore was stunning. They performed Come Out of the Woods completely unplugged, featuring the clarinet, an accordion and a banjo to accompany Hegarty’s acoustic guitar. Here I must point out that I’m not entirely sure, but I think Hegarty was barefoot on stage. They finished their set with their single I Will Remain which gained the most audience participation. They clapped along with the musicians on stage as the performed one of their faster and more traditionally Celtic sounding songs. Gatrill showed us a cute little jig in between her vocals and clarinet playing which the crowd loved.
Well deservedly Matthew and the Atlas got a standing ovation from what looked like everyone in the room. Although I would recommend seeing them, I’d prefer to see them in a venue with more movement.
Matthew and the Atlas are continuing their tour, soon to be heading out to Europe.