The National

In the beginning, it's more than likely that the plan was never to take the scenic route to reaching a wide audience, but it's taken The National six albums to sell out the vast hall of Alexandra Palace. No matter though – the point is that they are here now, with a run of extraordinary albums that have evidently touched so many, seeing as how a huge crowd assembles before the stage well over an hour before the band appears.

They may look less like rockstars and more like a gang of science teachers who have skipped the last class of the day to neck a bottle of wine, but they receive a heroes welcome, opening with 'Don't Swallow The Cap' from last year's rapturously received album 'Trouble Will Find Me'. It becomes immediately evident that the band's intimate power on record translates perfectly inside a huge venue such as this.

Cynics of the band, of which there are seemingly now very few, point to their morbid manner, but tell that to anybody in the crowd yelling along to every single word of 'Bloodbuzz Ohio' or 'Don't Swallow The Cap' – both unlikely anthems, but such is the strength of the conviction in what this band do, every single person in the crowd can't help but fall for them.

A quite extraordinary moment happens during 'Graceless' – what other band could see a crowd surge towards the stage yelling along in euphoric unison to the words "come apart at the seams now I know what dying means?" It's a beautiful moment to witness, the morbid tone becoming really quite hysterical. The introspection and reflection posed on record has managed to form a unifying bond between the band and its audience.

Whilst much of the focus is on lead singer Matt Berninger, as when he's not as far into the crowd as he can get, he stalks the stage like a man possessed. However, it would be madness to ignore the incredible talents of the rest of the band, particularly twins Bryce and Aaron Dessner, whose performances are both quite remarkable. Noticeably, on the brooding, downbeat 'I Need My Girl', Bryce constantly drives the head of his guitar into the stage floor, adding to the atmosphere of an already intense moment in the set.

A static version of their song 'Lean' for the new Hunger Games soundtrack opens the soundtrack, before Berninger launches himself into the crowd for blistering renditions of 'Mr. November' and 'Terrible Love', which sees the crowd fighting to get close to the singer as his anguished screams fill the hall.

The best is undoubtedly saved for last, however. Returning to the stage and switching off his microphone, Berninger leads an acoustic 'Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks', which sees the crowd sing every word back to him as though their lives depend on it. If anyone tonight was unsure what the fuss was all about to begin with, there's no doubting what this band means to people after hearing 10,000 people together singing "all the very best of us string ourselves up for love." It's a truly special moment and a privilege to be a part of, and therein lies the beauty of The National.

FUTURE GIGS

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