CMJ 2009 Live: Sian Alice Group @ The Knitting Factory

After one hectic evening rushing around the sweaty streets of Manhattan we decided to make a late night metro journey to the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, however, there were certainly no O.A.P's in rocking chairs here, just Sian Alice Group and a small concentrated crowd of ecstatic fans. 

The first thing that struck us was the solemn and almost eerie atmosphere that Sian's vocals created, reverberating throughout the venue, you could truly see that she was lost in her music, completely devoted and in her prime. 

The rest of the band only help to add to this atmosphere in their own unique ways, all moving and playing their instruments differently yet somehow creating this uniform sound and stage presence. The only thing they shared in common was timing. At this point in the night we started wondering where SAG draw inspiration from - and how have they moulded such a unique live persona? A question that even after hours of thought, still lays unanswered. 

About five songs into an already glorious set, the drummer vacated his kit and commandeered the second keyboard on stage. At the same time, Sian walked to the drum kit and perched herself on the bass drum staring blankly into the spotlights. At which point they managed to create a song so powerful that we had to physically take a few steps back and evaluate the situation, SAG proved that you don't need percussion to make a song that can punch like a heavyweight.   

Concluding their set, each member of SAG mashed their instruments to a pulp, yet maintaining their composure. The best way to describe SAG's set at CMJ this year is an emotional roller-coaster, they took us from an almost catatonic state to the point of self-combustion and back again, several times. By the end we were mentally exhausted, something that has rarely happens watching any live performance.