Death Cab For Cutie, Manchester, 2004

It would be easy to say that DCFC is ultra-talented songwriter Ben Gibbard’s project but, although he may pen the tunes, they are clearly a band of equals on stage. Guitarist Chris Walla is the unsung hero with some subtle playing that fires the melodic heart of this beast. The bass was way too high in the mix but Nick Harmer did keep things trundling along with some top Mike Watt style playing.

This was a sell-out and shows how much their breakthrough album TRANSATLANTICISM is popular with the legions of Manc Americana aficionados. Taking from the album songs like Tiny Vessels, the awesome The New Year, and the mega title track, they showed how much they have progressed in the last year. When you consider Gibbard also co-wrote most of the equally titanic Postal Service album, you can see he is an artist at the top of his game. Plus, they are genuinely nice guys who like communicating with their audience, pondering as they did on why Manchester got to keep the Chester while Leicester didn’t… All those around them should watch and learn.

Death Cab For Cutie, Manchester Academy, March 2006

So two years on and is this band any closer to world domination? Sadly no, but triumphantly yes! Let me explain. Radiohead took a left turn at the beginning of the century, leaving the door open for a band to fill the void, no-one quite managed it, though many tried. The Flaming Lips came closest with the YOSHIMI album, but live, they seemed to lack a certain something. So it was left to Death Cab For Cutie to fill the gap. Album wise, they had not come close until 2005’s PLANS which just simply was the best Alternative / Indie / Rock album of the year; don’t even think of mentioning the ‘C’ word, Chris Martin is nowhere near!

Front man Ben has yet again taken some steps to the left himself by continuing the Postal Service! Which alone wiped the floor with anything Athlete or Keane had done. Only Elbow and Snow Patrol produced a better record. But the big question here was could Death Cab For Cutie deliver in a live setting? Well, could they ever! They have fulfilled their promise to become one of the best live bands around; assertive and emotive vocals, matched by rampant guitars and drums, that can drop like a stone to play quiet, to play emotional, to play on the heartstrings of males and females, the young and old.

They rampaged through the new album and played it to perfection, like it was the record. Sure they kept the diehards happy with some older material (five albums worth they have) so it’s never a challenge. But the biggest problem comes when the gig ends and you look around for confirmation that it’s over… It seems like 9 minutes have passed not 90, and that’s one hell of a problem to have - a gig that transfixes you for an hour and a half that seems to end in 9 minutes…

The band has entered a league of one, and has certainly fulfilled its promise of becoming one of the best live bands in the world. Try, try, try to get a ticket next time you see a gig by this band near your town. Believe me, you will fall in love and find yet another ‘favourite’ band. I thought I had enough of those, but which ones do you lose? Certainly not this one… They can make you dance, sing, laugh and cry, and all in one gig. This was special, so fucking special…

Set List

Searching Hands

We Laugh Indoors

The New Year

Title & Registration

Soul Meets Body

Lightness

Movie Script

Photobooth

Crooked Teeth

Different names

Reason

Company Calls

Epilogue

What Sarah Said

We Looked Like Giants

The Sound Of Settling

**page*

If you want to find out what this band is like before you buy a live ticket, or just want to remind yourself how fucking good they were when you saw them, there is a DF4C DVD out. Buy it and be inspired!

Death Cab For Cutie DRIVE WELL, SLEEP CAREFULLY - On The Road With Death Cab For Cutie: A film by Justin Mitchell.

Drive Well; Sleep Carefully joined Death Cab For Cutie on tour in the spring of 2004. Director Justin Mitchell captured dozens of live performances across the country and interviewed the band at length in their hometown of Seattle. The stunning live footage is mixed with candid conversations about the creative process, the bands dedication to their music, and the joys and demands of life on the road. Since forming in 1997, DCFC has steadily gained a loyal following; their unwavering work ethic and critical acclaim continues to take them to ever-wider audiences.

Special Features

Acoustic set at the Metreon, San Francisco - 3 songs. Stability in rehearsal. Lightness demo montage. Andy-cam behind the scenes footage. Additional interviews.

Synopsis

The on-the-road life of an indie-rock band about to take a giant leap towards the mainstream forms the focus for this documentary from director Justin Mitchell (Songs For Cassavetes). Capturing the band members as they are on the cusp of signing a major label deal, Mitchell set out on tour with Death Cab in 2004 as they undertook an American tour to support their album TRANSATLANTICISM. The performances perfectly capture the energy and spirit of the band, while offstage the band members appear thoughtful and philosophical as they muse on their career. A wonderful snapshot of a band at a crucial stage in its career, this is essential viewing for fans.

From the Director

Over 2 hours of Death Cab For Cutie live performances, interviews and extras.

The Sound Of Settling, The New Year, We Laugh Indoors, Styrofoam Plates, Title And Registration, Company Calls, Tiny Vessels, Transatlanticism, Expo ‘86, We Looked Like Giants, Why You’d Want Live Here, Prove My Hypothesis, Bend To Squares.

Unreleased music in the film includes Please Don’t Go and demo versions of Lightness and The Sound Of Settling.