It’s difficult not to wonder when the last time the austere halls of St Giles-In-The-Fields overflowed with as much barely contained excitement as they did tonight. 

To their everlasting credit, promoters Sonic Cathedral steered clear of the kind of tacky smoke and incense displays that other church-as-venue establishments seem unable to avoid indulging in, limiting things to a sleek light show, chromatic splashes reflecting off the stained glass like oil on water. 

Anthony Gonzalez, he who is M83, certainly seemed to appreciate the setting, commencing this evening’s headline performance with a solo session of half a dozen songs that glowed with the kind of dystopian futurism that one tends to automatically associate with Vangelis. 

After twenty minutes or so of gently lulling the crowd into a state of relaxed acceptance in this way, he was joined by the latest crop of band members and the night took off, some great drumming resounding in the building’s lofty reaches, providing the propulsion for some simply gorgeous music. 

M83’s live sound drips with the sense of buoyant, unpretentious optimism with which Saturday=Youth was imbued - this was a vital and invigorating set from a band that deserves every bit of praise thrown in its direction.

Oliver Downes
Photo: Rachel Lipsitz