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SxSW 2008 Live: British Sea Power

16th March 2008 | by Ross Riley

Maggie Mae's Rooftop is one of those dream venues, a place where the stage exists only as a corner of a room, where the band and audience mingle without divide, even a trip to the bathroom involves walking past the band live on stage.

In contrast to many of the buzz bands here in Austin, British Sea Power don't seem to attract the vast crowds that clog the entrances before the show starts, but the audience here tonight is both large and enthusiastic and we're treated to a real vintage performance by the band.

The band focussed mainly on their newer material, great performances of 'Atom', No Lucifer, Waving Flags, Canvey Island and 'Lights Out For Darker Skies' won over an initially placid crowd and the gig gently descended into rock 'n' roll chaos as guitarist 'Noble' performed his usual venue gymnastics, this time swinging from the guide ropes of Maggie Mae's rooftop canvas.

If you could pick a perfect climax to a great festival, this would have to be it, a band that's famed for its intellectual songwriting, winning over an audience with pure guitar driven energy, unafraid to rock out with their earlier material, they wind up with the inimitable 'Apologies To Insect Life'.

This is truly a band at the peak of their powers impressing a whole new audience. South By Southwest is hereby declared a subject of British Sea Power. Maybe we like the empire after all.

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