Hailing from Denmark, Mew are an alternative/indie band who refer to themselves as ‘experimental dream-pop’. Critically acclaimed and well-loved by people who have heard of them, their most recent album No More Stories… was released last summer. This, along with the fact that they opened for rock mammoths Nine Inch Nails on their recent European tour, means they are worth noticing. The 10th of November saw Mew at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London for the sold-out final night of their own successful UK tour.

The night got off to a good start, support band Choir of Young Believers proving to be a solid choice. Although the band looked a bit ramshackle – the guitarist/vocalist walked on with a heavily duct-taped guitar – they quickly won over the crowd with their thoughtful indie folk rock accompanied by soulful cello. Musically similar to Mew, Choir of Young Believers nonetheless proved themselves in their own right, leaving the stage with more than a few new converts.

As the band that everyone came to see, Mew certainly didn’t disappoint. Launching straight into song and then continuing the stream of music throughout, this became a gig that was very much about listening to rather than watching the band. For much of their time on stage, the band were obscured in some way. Smoke filled the stage so that they could only be seen as indistinct shapes, bright lights behind them made them into striking silhouettes, other stage lights threw nightmarish shadows of the band on the blank projection wall behind them. There was little conversation with the crowd, and each song blended neatly into the next either with lingering keyboard chords or short little interludes, creating a music-focused and dream-like atmosphere.

This atmosphere was enhanced by the film sequences occasionally projected behind the band. Looking at the band’s short videos on their site gives an idea of the kind of thing that was shown. It was slightly nightmarish in places with some of the projections being surreal and vaguely terrifying: wide-eyed animals and people with deformed features sang along, childhood toys played violin accompaniments then slowly crumbled into pieces, desolate wintry landscapes expanded to show unnatural creatures. Having seen Mew before, it was interesting to note how quite a few of their projections were unchanged from previous gigs. On the one hand, it means recycled material and a ’same-old’ feel. On the other hand, the projections fitted their songs and Mew’s image so well that it was forgivable.

New songs from the recent album ‘No More Stories…’ did well, losing nothing in the transition from recording to live performance, sounding fresh and rich. The playlist was varied, the new material mixed well with some older classics much to the delight of the crowd. The full version of ‘Comforting Sounds’ made for an uplifting finale, like a reassuring lullaby to send everyone home with a smile and warm heart.

Mew have built up a rather dedicated following, and rewarded their fans with a night of beautiful music. While there wasn’t much conversation, there was a feeling that there didn’t need to be. The energy came from the band’s desire to share their music and their experience with the audience, rather than to have any outlandish antics or spectacular stage shows. I certainly left feeling satisfied, and vaguely in awe of this artistic band.

Photograph courtesy of the official Mew website.