British Sea Power
Live at Leeds Festival 2002 on Saturday, 24th August 2002
There's something uniquely well, British about British Sea Power when compared to the legions of yank bands on show at this year's festival. There's a delightful eccentricity about a band that kit their stage out in trees, foliage and plastic birds - not to mention the pair of antlers on the drumkit. Then there's the WW2 sound FX. Even a Spitfire manages a fly-past before former single 'Fear of Drowning'.
Main man Yan is a little star - dance-jogging on the spot at times. Not to be out-done, guitarist Noble points his guitar up skywards from his gut and performs a highly impressive trick whereby he flips his guitar over his head to enable the roadie to pluck it off the back of his neck.
With all the trickery and tomfoolery, artiness and general showiness, you're bound to question whether a band like this is actually any good at doing the music making thing. No worries there though, BSP have got quirksome indie down to a tee - able to rock and noodle with equal measure. And they have a bloody great laugh while they do it to. 1-0 to the Brits.
