belle & sebastian, 23.05.2006, tonhalle, munich

Tonhalle is a horrible place to go to. Saw Franz Ferdinand there once, and to say it was horrible is a gross understatement. And then there was The Life Pursuit, their latest effort which as you all may now I don't rate as highly as their earlier works. I really didn't know what to expect from this gig. But now I'm a full fledged Belle & Sebastian fan again thanks to what I rate as one of the best concert I've been too.
The opening band was a trio called Gravenhurst and it was a good thing that they were so bad, because that gave me extra incentive to go to the bathroom. After another half an hour they finally showed up. Stuart, in his Smiths t-shirt, which has obviously seen better days, greeted the audience cordially, before launching into The State I'm In. What followed then really blew my mind. Yes, this is my first Belle & Sebastian concert, but I'm still amazed with how dynamic they were. Every song played with precision, although it's quite obvious they're having fun, and between song banters that makes you feel as though you know them personally. Here is a band who wrote songs for boys who were to shy to talk to the girl they fancy and girls who rather stay at home and read their books. They were famous early on not just because of their melancholic songs but also their shambolic live performance. Needless too say they've come a long way. And the new album is without a doubt a mirror of how far they've come. Less melancholy, more sunny, upbeat songs.
The concert was a good mix of old and new songs, although I felt that they could've slipped more of their old stuff. Electronic Renaissance really surprised me, since it didn't really struck me as something they'd do live, and I've never heard a live rendition of the song in the bootlegs I've heard. During I'm A Cuckoo Stuart jumped into the pit separating the stage and the audience and proceeded to stand on the rails whilst singing and keeping his balance. I think he may have hurt himself, but he certainly seemed to enjoy doing it. Jonathan David was my personal highlight since I'm such a Stevie fan, and his antics certainly endeared him to the crowd too. A shame though that they only played 2 song as encore, but since they played If You're Feeling Sinister and Le Pastie, I suppose I shouldn't complain. Here's the full setlist:

1. The State I Am In
2. Another Sunny Day
3. Funny Little Frog
4. My Wandering Days Are Over
5. Sukie In The Graveyard
6. Electronic Renaissance
7. Song For Sunshine
8. We Are The Sleepyheads
9. Dress Up In You
10. Act Of The Apostle Part 1
11. Act Of The Apostle Part 2
12. She's Losing It
13. The Boy With The Arab Strap
14. A Summer Wasting
15. For The Price Of A Cup Of Tea
16. I'm A Cuckoo
17. Jonathan David
18. White Collar Boy
19. Judy And The Dream Of Horses
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21. If You're Feeling Sinister
22. Le Pastie De La Bourgeoisie

Like I said, a mix between old and new stuff. The newer materials seem to suit their new persona as a full fledged entertaining band better though. I suppose this is artistic growth and I swear I won't complain about how they've changed ever again.