The quiet majesty of the small but perfectly formed Union Chapel in the London borough of Islington is the perfect backdrop for the quiet majesty of the latest venture from Devin Townsend, the enigmatically named Casualties of Cool.
This showcase set, one of a small number of European shows in support of a record that is both idiosyncratic and warmly inviting, is packed to the rafters with Devin adherents, Strapping Young Lad aficionados as well as broader, progressive music lovers from the locale.
Opening act, the charming and awfully modest Messenger get a thoroughly deserved warm reception. Basing their set around tracks from their debut album, the hypnotic Illusory Blues, is entirely sensible. The record has rightly been lauded as one of the standout debuts of the musical year and there is plenty here to lend your support to. Their blend of progressive music might appear technical (there is some serious musical prowess on display here) but there is a warmth and languid generosity to their music that one cannot help but be intrigued and beguiled by. All in all, Messenger prove to be a hugely apposite aperitif for tonight’s main course.
Some technical hitches means there is a slight delay to the arrival of the main event, which Devin makes light of in his inimitable fashion; to be honest, this man could, to paraphrase the old cliché, read the phone book and everyone would be utterly enthralled. There is a quiet sense of expectation around the chapel and a genuine rapport between audience and artists- what once started as a small idea that the Devin Townsend Project might have taken up has subsequently grown into something that is cared about deeply by both artistic protagonist and listener alike: in other words, there is a lot of love tonight for Casualties of Cool.
Opening track ‘Daddy’ drifts seamlessly into ‘The Code’ and then ‘Mountaintop’; at times the unfailingly polite audience doesn’t seem to know when to show their appreciation between songs as Devin drops in vignette after vignette of guitar parts or melodies and everyone does their polite best to ensure that they get to hear every note from their hero. However, this isn’t just a Devin show; vocalist Che Aimee Dorval is absolutely exquisite tonight. Aided by some fantastic acoustics from the religious surroundings, her smooth vocal tones are able to soar effortlessly- on ‘Bones’ and ‘Gone is Gone’ she has that unerring ability to make the hairs on the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.
What strikes one though is how much this feels like a collective enterprise rather than an instance of Here’s-What- I-Did-Last-Summer project management. All of the members of the live band put in sterling performances and there is bonhomie and camaraderie in abundance; by the time we get to set closer ‘The Bridge’ and its epic soundscapes you’re left with that gnawing sense of regret that it has passed by all too quickly. A lovely, lovely evening.
Casualties of Cool Set List
Daddy
The Code
Mountaintop
Flight
Ether
Moon
Bones
Forgive Me
Jam
The Field
Deathscope
Gone is Gone
The Bridge
WORDS AND IMAGES BY MAT DAVIES