I melt like a witch and scream...

This Monday, I spent the evening in the company of Brooklyn-based band, The National, in the beautiful surroundings of London's Royal Festival Hall. This sentence, in itself, explains in part, the wonderful occasion surrounding this show. The National haven't been in the UK for almost a year and this one-off show in the capital had a lot of build up. Not least for me, as a huge fan of the band.

Before The National, the support act, Broken Records, came to get the crowd in the mood for a wonderful evening. Broken Records sound like a folk band gone wild. Their brand of folk-punk-rock combined with a dash of Coldplay and Ghost Mice gave the crowd something to tap their feet to and the band did a good job of raising a few smiles. Their song 'Wolves' was a particular stand-out track of the set. I can't say that the cavernous venue suited their sound, but they did a good job considering the pressure to perform; chatting and joking with the crowd in between songs.

At just gone half past 8 in the evening, The National took to the stage in a haze of light-show and cheers. They opened with a brand new song, from their forthcoming as-yet-untitled album. A track called 'Runaway'. It's sweeping chorus and simple, but effective lyrics were something to enjoy and it wasn't like "this is a new song, be bored", which happens at gigs. I was spellbound from the very start. It wouldn't be the last new song and it wouldn't be the last song that would give me shivers.

Going into 'Start A War' from their 2007 album, 'Boxer'; Matt Berninger got into the swing of the show. His voice a deep baritone and having a certain quality that you can't quite put your finger on. Whatever the quality is, it had the whole crowd's attention and silence fell upon Royal Festival Hall as the aundience listening intently to the beautiful lyrics and melodies. The set was particularly 'Boxer' and 'Alligator' heavy and songs like the big choruses of 'Mistaken For Strangers' and 'Abel'. Other songs like the particularly beautiful 'Baby, We'll Be Fine' and 'Green Gloves' were highlights as this seemed to be where Berninger was most comfortable. He has the crowd in his hands, and he knew it. A quiet hush fell up on the large venue as he sang, "Take another sip of them / It floats around and takes me over / Like a little drop of ink in a glass of water." The light show made that moment particularly spectacular. It was hard to take my eyes away from the stage as the band poured their hearts into the music. It was like Berninger was bearing his very soul when he launched into 'All The Wine' singing, "I'm a birthday candle in a circle of black girls / God is on my side" and, of course, when he sang "You know I dreamed about you / For twenty-nine years before I saw you / You know I dreamed about you / I missed you for / For twenty-nine years" on the fabulous love song 'Slow Show', which had the brass instrument treatment for this gig.

It was the rockier moments that got the crowd most into the show, though. Songs like 'Apartment Story', 'Mr. November' and, a track that the band have not played for at least 3 years, 'Available' from their album 'Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers'. They all sounded fresh and exciting and you'd have no idea that 'Available' wasn't a staple in the setlist. The National sounded tight and looked like they might just have enjoyed the crowd's glassy-eyed wonder from the stage. The moment, for me, that summed up this show was the crowd in the stalls (seated) standing up to walk towards the front of the stage before the epic sweeps of 'Squalor Victoria'. Berninger took full advantage of them being there later in the set by getting IN with the crowd on several occasions. His more feral moments marking the rock and roll side of the set.

Finishing the set with the celestial sounds of 'Fake Empire' the band had hooked every single person in the crowd and had them wrapped around their little fingers. There was clapping, singing, and general participation. Many of the crowd getting up to dance no matter where they were seated. The encore with another new song, 'Mr. November' getting the biggest cheer of the night after Berninger went mental (as he does) and thrashed about the stage like a man posessed by his own emotions. Ending the evening on the beautiful, amazing, and heartbreaking 'About Today' from their 'Cherry Tree' EP topped everything that came before it, for me. The quietly stunning piece captured the moment and when M.B. sang the following, it was one of the most emotional points of the entire evening and I think everybody in the crowd will agree.

"Tonight you just close your eyes / And I just watch you slip away / How close am I to losing you / Hey, are you awake / Yeah I'm right here / Well can I ask you about today"

Everybody was standing for the last beats of the song and many were in the aisles, dancing, clapping and smiling. I melted at The National's will. The words, the music, the occasion peaked with those last few bars of 'About Today' and it lead to a crescendo of sound so beautiful that it was hard to contain the tears burning the backs of my eyes. Simply wonderful. If only the venue has been more intimate like the music deserves. It felt like it had been despite the vastness of the hall. The National made Royal Festival Hall their club and they had all of those punters gagging for more.