La Dispute – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds – 18/05/14|Live Review

Credit: Graham Berry

We caught La Dispute last weekend at Leeds’ Brudenell Social Club as they kicked of their UK Tour with O’Brother and Eugene Quell. Although we unfortuantely missed both Eugene Quell and O’Brother due to unforeseen circumstances we heard they were amazing and we are gutted we didn’t get the chance to catch them live this time around (so you should go do it now!).

After witnessing La Dispute only weeks ago at Groezrock it was a treat to be in such an intimate venue. As they opened up with ‘HUDSONVILLE, MI 1956‘ – the first track off their latest release ‘Rooms Of The House‘, Brudenell immediately submerged in intense passion between La Dispute and the audience, a rare atmosphere that only a band like this could create. Tangling into ‘First Reactions After Falling Through Ice‘ as Dreyer juts back and forth tearing a new dynamic into their newer tracks.

Taken from the Wildlife album, ‘The Most Beautiful Bitter Fruit‘ drums conducted the track, images distorted light as the crowd attempted to keep up with the band as they continued to celebrate the incredible album that ‘Rooms Of The House’ is with ‘Stay Happy There‘. The album takes an incredible step with La Dispute’s musicianship and it commanded so much more influence live. ‘Stay Happy There’ resounded through the crowd like every other song played that night, echoing through the thrashing bodies directed by jolting intricate riffs.

‘Woman (In Mirror)‘ delicately strung in, silence filled with words and gentle, beautiful tones. “Tiny dots on an endless timeline” worked its way around the mouths of Brudenell, quiet though – all desperate to hear every sound La Dispute had to give. The band are iconic in the way they can compel a room with such exquistic songs, they carry every indivdual as a crowd through an experience (a hot, sticky, sweaty one) and pull them through a journey, be it ‘Woman (In Mirror)’ or their own little lost one.

“You still cross my mind from time to time/And I mostly smile” flows out through the crowd as if they were expecting ‘Andria‘ emanating the passion within Brudenell, this is as much the audience’s as it is La Dispute’s. ‘For Mayor In Splitsville‘ pulls in that momentous riff, a riff that will riddle its way into your brain for the rest of the week. The tracks from Rooms Of The House emote and hold so much more than previous albums and that reflects in the jolting band and bodies. The momentum continued into ‘I See Everything‘ as we are held in the tangle of the story, each word holding us before ‘New Storms For Older Lovers‘.

As the set began to draw to a close we were brought into the uprawr of ‘Said The King To The River‘ before the beautiful words of ‘Woman (Reading)‘. The incredible ‘You And I In Unison‘ builds up through levels of sticks and strings, Dreyer’s words building in raw intensity until the crowd is lost in its own shouts “You were never there/You won’t ever be“. The band exit the stage with “Until I die I will sing our names in unison” still ringing out.

An expectant ‘King Park‘ was to come from an encore but we were treated to the amazing ‘Nine‘ in a whole new life of itself – a raw, harder rasp to every line and every sound, almost enunciating every note they could. This incredible treat paving the way for the destructive ‘King Park‘, each poignant word held in stunning sounds that we didn’t want to end. La Dispute brought every person in the sold out Brudenell into an experience they will never experience again or forget, knowing full well next time the band grace these shores they will be in for something different. It takes something special to hold a crowd in awe with something so simple.

Review by: Amber Carniege

Photos by: Graham Berry