The Shins - Bush Hall

Kim and I managed to score a couple of rare-as-hen’s-teeth tickets to The Shins semi-secret show at The Bush Hall in Shepherds Bush.
The Bush Hall could well be my new favorite venue in London – basically one long room, with a nice and high stage at one end, they also enforce a strict non-smoking policy in the band room, which makes such a difference from the smoke-pits most London gigs are held in.
The Shins have added a fifth member since I saw them last. Eric Johnson (of fellow Sub Pop band Fruit Bats) who played a mix of guitar and keyboards – and the additional instrumentation also gave the band a chance to mix up the sound.
Rather than the faithful reproduction of album recordings, “New Slang” was fleshed out with prominent acoustic guitar, while “Gone For Good” and “So Says I” become thick and heavy with extra electric guitar.
Also the material from the just released ‘Wincing The Night Away’ varies somewhat in live performance. A drawn out “Sleeping Lessons” started the show, while “Girl Sailor” included some mid-song backing vocals that aren’t immediately discernable on record.
An encore cover of The Modern Lovers “Someone I Care About” was a power-punk surprise, and the show closing “So Says I” left everyone happy.
So quite a different show to The Killers stadium filling bombardment last night – but a small intimate joy.