Fleet Foxes at Live At The Marquee on June 26th 2011
Enchanting, mesmerising, beautiful and ethereal. Fleet Foxes certainly lived up to their reputation for playing great music in The Marquee in Cork on Sunday night. The show was the band’s second Irish date on the tour for their new album Helplessness Blues and they played a broad setlist covering their new album as well as several tracks from their 2008 eponymous debut album and Sun Giant EP.
The band, comprising six members including three multi-instrumentalists took to the stage shortly after 9pm and launched straight into The Cascades and Grown Ocean, a pair of songs from the new album. There was then a short pause during which frontman Robin Pecknold mentioned how appreciative the band was of the reception they’ve gotten from Irish crowds. Pecknold’s effortless geeky charm was to come out several times over the course of the show.
Following the first two tracks the band then rummaged through their back catalogue for a well received rendition of Drop in the River from their Sun Giant EP which brought their trademark close intricate harmonies to the fore.
Continuing their strong start, the band then played three more songs from Helplessness Blues. It is worth mentioning that tracks from the new album weren’t always as rapturously received by the crowd as the band’s older material. Whenever they played their new tracks there were always a fair few in the Marquee coming and going whereas everyone generally tended to stayed put for the older songs. Perhaps sensing this, the next five songs the band played were all from their earlier releases. These included what are certainly some of the strongest songs in their repertoire: Mykonos, Tiger Mountain Peasant Song and White Winter Hymnal. With these fan pleasing tracks Fleet Foxes really got the crowd’s focus back.
The six songs that closed out the set were four of the strongest tracks off the new album (including Montezuma and The Shrine/An Argument) along with two older cuts sprinkled in for good measure.
After a rousing reception for Blue Ridge Mountains, Fleet Foxes thanked the crowd before going back stage. After much cheering from the audience, Robin Pecknold then emerged with his acoustic guitar and led the audience in a sing along of Oliver James which raised the roof. The rest of the band then returned and closed the show out with Helplessness Blues which was a great finish to a great concert.
5 Stars