'If You're Feeling Sinister' :: The 30th Anniversary!

I really didn't mind catching Belle and Sebastian again. They last played in Singapore in this same venue in February 2015. I saw that show. That was 11 years ago. Tonight, many of us came to watch the band. It was a like a reunion show in all sense. Many of the friends brought their grown children along; that was too cute. 

Tonight, the band celebrates 30 years of 'If You're Feeling Sinister' (1996). They played the entire album! And a few more well-loved songs. The band members have all visibly aged. They have still got that consummate professionalism going on. The easy songs full of emotions, the familiar melodies and the practiced craft of everyone shone through. 

The band began super promptly. In fact, at 7.27pm, the house lights dimmed and a short little clip came up. The band was on stage and began with 'The Stars of Track and Field' at 7.30pm right on time! Of course they did 'The Fox in the Snow'. The album held so many great songs. But this is my singular favorite from the album. I now have a little floofy fox (more like a dingo) by my side too, with no snow. Heh. The band's songs held so many winter memories too. I mean, Glasgow is cold. Scotland is cold. 

There was no intermission, but after playing 'If You're Feeling Sinister' in its entirety, the band took a super short break to get out of 1996 before settling into the second part of the night — playing nostalgic favorites. Stuart Murdoch stepped down from the stage and walked into the audience, down a row, and up a ledge while the band did 'Dress Up in You' (from 'The Life Pursuit, 2006). Ahhh... showmanship. Loved it. 

I didn't know why the Esplanade ushers walked around with signs to indicate no photography or videos. That looked a little dumb for an indie gig. I can't believe the band's manager would issue that directive. I mean, people more or less adhered to it for the first few songs. But when the whole concert hall refused to sit down and stood up for the rest of the show, there was way to restrict photography and videos! What more when Stuart Murdoch came down to mingle, and more later on. 

Before the night ended, the band got a small crowd up to the stage to dance. It made for such a memorable show. The band sang the emo-ness of my youth. They accompanied me through many nights when I was so young and didn't know the ways of the world. The lyrics were like a balm to soothe my perturbed and disordered teenaged soul.

They didn't play 'Lazy Line Painter Jane' (from 'Push Barman to Open Old Wounds', 2005), but there were many good ones. Gosh. Where did the decades go? Ahhhh.... WHAT A NIGHT. It was absolutely lovely.