Okkervil River arrive in London at the tail end of what have been two big years for the band.

The Stage Names and The Stand Ins have seen the band catapulted into the highest echelons of literate indie rock.

On the last two occasions Okkervil River visited, they played The Borderline and The Luminaire. Now, they’re headlining Shepherd’s Bush Empire. One factor in the band’s unchecked rise has been their incendiary live shows, an exciting mix of a solid, flawless band and a whirlwind of a frontman who seems to end each show on the cusp of dementia.

In this light, tonight begins as a disappointment. The band seem a bit flat as they roll through ‘Plus Ones’ and ‘A Hand To Take Hold Of The Scene’ and even ‘Black’ and ‘The Latest Toughs’ lack the power and bite that they usually possess. However, they kick into top gear on ‘The War Criminal Rises And Speaks’ and when this continues through ‘John Allyn Smith Sails’, things look promising.

Unfortunately, two dirge-like numbers in a row completely kill the momentum and it only recovers when the ticking that introduces ‘Our Live Is Not A Movie Or Maybe’ signals a timebomb that lifts the roof off the venue. It is rare to see Okkervil River in patchy form but it could be a transition to the big time that will pass once the band acclimatises to the bigger venues. That said, the moments tonight when Sheff and Co really hit their marks serve as indisputable proof why Okkervil River are so special.
Mark Grassick
Photo: Rachel Lipsitz