All Saints Church in Hove is a spectacular venue to say the least, so I was intrigued to discover that Canadian indie band Half Moon Run would be performing there, and very interested to see how they would deal with playing in such an enormous space. The church really is massive, with colossal gothic arches and a 70 foot high ceiling – cathedral-like in its dimensions. Fortunately, the show was very well attended and as the audience helped soak up the sound – first potential pitfall avoided – it didn’t sound like a boombox in the batcave.

Half Moon Run are a very capable collective of musicians – able to play a number of instruments, swapping seamlessly between songs and harmonising angelically – appropriately enough for the surroundings. As they kick things off with recent album opener, 'Warmest Regards' they seem laid back and quietly confident, effectively mirroring the vibe of the song itself. It’s a gentle way to start things off, but well judged.

'I Can’t Figure Out What’s Going On' follows, and although this is played with HMR’s typical competence, it’s apparent that All Saints is going to be a difficult venue to get a wide range of dynamics across, although this is also in part due to the size of the show and the blanket of noise required to fill the space. However, whatever is lacking from the spectrum of sound is more than made up for with the simple yet dramatic use of light as the church is used as a magnificent backdrop, showered in purple and orange light, with its gigantic pillars creating imposing shadows.

Getting songs across effectively throughout the evening proves to be a difficult balancing act. The more drum-heavy tracks come over a bit mushy, whereas the more stripped down, acoustic-led ones are crystal clear and showcase the band’s accuracy as players and singers. It’s a tricky scenario, as the scale of the gig warrants more than just a stripped-down set, but the more rocking numbers have difficulty translating. HMR are a relatively sedate band in terms of their performance – maybe it was out of respect for the church environment, but the show may have benefitted from more attitude to get things cooking a bit.

Songs from the debut album Dark Eyes go down a storm, specifically 'Call Me In The Afternoon' with its spiky harmonies and urgent percussion. The wonky analogue synth of 'The Debt' with its atmospheric cinematic sounds is another success. The band appear to play it just behind tempo, creating a teasing lethargy, which is released through a galactic guitar solo with screaming notes bouncing off the stone walls of the church.

I’d love to see them play again in a smaller, more intimate venue where I can get closer to the detail of their sound. That being said, Half Moon Run made a decent stab at playing a challenging venue – perhaps not quite a religious experience, but good fun nevertheless.
Adam Atkins
Photo: Mike Burnell

Website: halfmoonrun.com
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