LIVE REVIEW: Belle and Sebastian at Camden Roundhouse, London

Over two years ago, Belle and Sebastian announced they would perform two dates at the Camden Roundhouse. These February 2022 gigs were postponed for another nine months. A “health issue” pushed them back further to July 2023. While touring was postponed, Belle and Sebastian released two new studio albums, and frontman Stuart Murdock appeared as a panellist on BBC’s Question Time to assert that the Conservative party “don’t care about people”.

When Murdock sang the following lyrics, “My output is in decline I was burned out after Thatcher” to “Step into my Office, Baby”, emphasising the last word on the second night, the crowd, as well as delighting in hearing this song showed solidarity with Murdock’s political outlook.

One advantage of having a career spanning almost three decades is that the live nine-piece has an impressive back catalogue of songs. As a result, just three of the same Belle and Sebastian songs were played on both nights at the Roundhouse. These included “So in the Moment” and “The Boy with the Arab Strap”. Furthermore, Belle and Sebastian still elated Camden despite not playing acclaimed standalone singles such as “Legal Man”.

The second night, which XS Noize saw, they opened with “Dog on Wheels”. The solemn trumpet excited before the upbeat rabblerousing “Step Into My Office, Baby” engaged the Roundhouse into kinetic action. Excitement reached a new crescendo when Murdock stripped off his black t-shirt to reveal a striped blue and white sailor-style t-shirt when the band then proceeded to play “So In The Moment.” The deft use of organs transcended the packed venue.

With the 25^th anniversary since the release of The Boy With The Arab Strap and the 20^th anniversary since Dear Catastrophe Waitress was issued, it would have been easy for Belle and Sebastian to have deluged the set with songs from these LPs. They did not, and the audience was delighted with the broad spectrum of this Glaswegian band’s discography. The reception of newer songs such as “Young and Stupid” equalled those to “Like Dylan in the Movies”, taken from Belle and Sebastian’s sophomore effort If You’re Feeling Sinister.

As well as praising the sustainably dressed support band Drug Store Romeo’s, Murdock opened up to the audience about how his children don’t let him sing in the house and the key he was playing certain songs in. Furthermore, despite Murdock being in his mid-fifties, he danced with the grace and fitness of a man two decades younger.

With lots of energy, a plethora of quirky lyrics, fun pop songs and soothing and haunting sounds from strings, clarinets and even the recorder, Belle and Sebastian delivered a perfect blended motley of songs. Whilst fans who could only attend one of the Roundhouse gigs may not have heard every Belle and Sebastian song they wanted, for the ninety minutes the band was on stage, Belle and Sebastian were flawless. The crowd could not have expected anything more.