We first heard of the Concretes through our manager who's a big fan. He got us a copy of the album and we were immediately struck by the production; it's really warm and full of life. They've got that kind of Phil Spector sound, soft vocals with lots of harmonies. They've got very beautiful voices.
The most striking thing about their performance was how well they were able to translate their recorded sound to the stage. There's any number of band members on the album - there's horns, chimes and all sorts. With that number there was a real possibility that things could go wrong, but it worked.
We couldn't be sure, but we think there were three singers. The lead vocalist was ice cool, and she had that Scandinavian attitude, like Björk, which seemed removed but was at the same time alluring, enticing.
As a young band we're always looking for aspects of other bands' performances that impress, and we came away from watching the Concretes with a lot. The staging was impressive. Musicians stacked in rows almost like buildings raised above one another. And while the performance was really well rehearsed it also had a feeling of spontaneity, a jangling pop element that made it carefree.
