MUSIC Belle and Sebastian ★★★★ Palais Theatre, August 23 To attend a Belle and Sebastian concert is to go back in time. It’s the late ’90s or early 2000s, and searching bookstores and libraries for something to love, you spot a pleasant-looking album and take it home. You pop it into the CD player and let the warmth spill out, that striped sunlight sound painting colour into your monochrome life.
Belle and Sebastian are led by Stuart Murdoch. Credit: Richard Clifford The Scottish band’s earnest, bookish indie pop, often labelled twee with either affection or derision, captures a time and place. It’s evident by their Melbourne audience, all stripes, berets and cardigans.
But life has happened, too: many have their kids in tow, hoping to pass the magic on. Together for almost three decades, Belle and Sebastian are one of the great indie legacy acts: they’re still releasing music, but certain albums will always define both them and their fans. It’s a blessing and a curse, but so is growing up.
The precious naivete of some of the group’s earliest songs is lost in their polished performances now, but the joy remains palpable. Blooming to a nine-piece live, including a couple of local musicians, the band – led by the affable, chatty Stuart Murdoch – is a well-oiled machine, with splashes of occasional chaos. Unlike many touring bands, they don’t have a standard set list – each night is different, and anything could happen.
On this night, the sound mix .