In the world of bands, “hiatus” is a scary word. When a band announces they are going on a hiatus, 9 times out of 10, it’s a polite way of saying they’re breaking up, without making it sound so final. Either way, it’s usually depressing to hear that kind of announcement. Thankfully, when Swedish-American trio Miike Snow announced in 2015 the end of a 3-year hiatus, nobody realized they were ever actually on one (at least I didn’t…); thank goodness they spared us that announcement 3 years ago! Still, all is right with the world again; Miike Snow are back together, with a new record and a stunning live show to unleash on the world.
Los Angeles’ all-girl trio Muna open the show to a half-full Metropolis (and that’s probably being generous) at 8:30, with their brand of “dark pop” (their words, not mine). Not sure what was dark about it, as it was all pretty upbeat and dance-y, with the girls smiling throughout, sounding a little like Haim fronted by a restrained Cyndi Lauper. If the “dark” was a stretch, the “pop” most certainly wasn’t! A pleasant enough support set, overall, if a little unspectacular.
Miike Snow then take to the stage in front of a now-packed house, almost 4 years to the day since their last visit, also at Metropolis, and kick off with My Trigger, the opener on new album “iii” (their third, amazingly enough), and exudes an unmistakable jazz vibe in the live arena, with frontman Andrew Wyatt under spotlights hammering away at his keyboard in emphatic manner. Keys are exchanged for a hand mic on Billie Holiday, and Andrew begins to patrol the stage in true frontman fashion, squatting down to the eye level of the front row at various points, and it doesn’t take long before all are engaged.
Cult Logic, from 2009’s self-titled debut, is up next, and electro synth beats kick in amidst a backdrop of LED lights, which burst into life after the vocal intro; the crowd follows suit, and before long, almost everyone on the floor is dancing. Current single Genghis Khan swiftly follows, and gets a vociferous response; seemingly everyone here gets “a little bit Genghis Khan.” The trademark “ooh ooh oooo-ooh” hook slowly fades out, and a low, rumbling beat takes over, which gradually gets louder and louder and then explodes into Paddling Out, tonights only offering from 2012 sophomore album Happy To You. Dancing swiftly turns to pogo-ing, as the closest thing to a club anthem you’ll find on a Monday night blares out across Metropolis; an epic moment in the set.
Andrew then takes time to salute the giant beer guy who somehow weaves in and out of this morass of bodies balancing a tray of beers on one upturned palm; giant beer guy salutes him back.
Heart Is Full is another set highlight; beginning with just Andrew and his piano, it’s a haunting intro, much more stripped down than on record, and as the crowd muscles in on vocal duties, Andrew is more than happy to yield, quieting down, sitting back and clearly revelling in the audience participation. After the first chorus, the song suddenly erupts into a beefed-up version more akin to that on record (but unmistakably heavier). The crowd responds in kind, singing even louder than before; great stuff.
A quiet, metronomic beat fills the silence that follows, which slowly grows into Silvia, also from 2009’s debut record, and continue to build and build to a climactic conclusion, before ending with swirling keys and haunting sound effects…and then rebuilding back to the grand chorus again. It’s another standout moment, in a set full of them. As the song swirls to a conclusion, it morphs into I Feel The Weight, a quieter moment for all to wind down after the breathtaking moments which preceded it, before Andrew picks up a couple of maracas as the finger picking guitar intro of Song For No One starts up.
The set concludes with Black And Blue, another thumping dance tune, giving the pogo-ing contingent one last chance to cut loose, before the main set ends after 60 perfect minutes.
They promptly return to the stage and launch into Longshot (7 nights), as credits roll up on the screens at the back of the stage, before running directly into the muffled intro beats of breakthrough single Animal, which again, gets everyone moving. It’s much more expansive than on record, with extra beats and keys layered in between those recognizable from the 4-minute record version, and probably runs past 10 minutes. Andrew returns to his piano after completing vocal duties to join the rest of the band in building and building the outro, and indeed the whole show, to an epic conclusion.
It’s undoubtedly a celebratory return to Montreal for Miike Snow, with a 3-year hiatus in no way impacting their songwriting, live show, or their following in this city. Indeed, if a hiatus is needed in order for them to keep sounding this creative, this innovative, this grandiose, well, they should take all the time they need; tonight’s show was undeniably worth the wait.
Set List
My Trigger
Billie Holiday
Cult Logic
Genghis Khan
Paddling Out
The Heart of Me
Burial
Heart Is Full
Silvia
I Feel the Weight
Song for No One
Black & Blue
Longshot (7 Nights)
Animal
Review – Simon Williams
Photos – Ashley MacPhee
