Travelling for 6 yours in the car, I was eager to see what Bon Iver had to offer at his show at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens. I expected something great as I am a huge fan of the band, but received something greater than I ever could’ve imagined.
A Bon Iver show isn’t just a demonstration of the gorgeousness of their music. It is an entire experience, involving a magnificent light show, beautiful sounds, and the most incredible communal feeling.
Opening with ’22 (OVER SOON)’ from the iconic 22, A Million (2016), I knew I was in for a treat. The timbres which the band created bounced gorgeously off of every wall in the ballroom and it sounded better than I could’ve ever imagined. As the set continued, the audience were graced with performances of some older material like ‘Flume’ and ‘Holocene’, with music from 22, A Million perfectly punctuating these.
Though Justin Vernon did not make much interaction with the crowd, it still felt incredibly personal. Being in a room filled with Bon Iver fans felt special, especially when considering this tour was celebrating 22, A Million, an album which had broken the band’s 5-year hiatus. Everyone in that room was hearing some of this new material live for the first time ever and it was clear that the audience members were re-experiencing their love for Bon Iver’s music all over again.
