Directed by Lasse Hoile (Steven Wilson / Katatonia /Opeth), ‘A Sort Of Home Coming’ is a stunning concert film of Anathema’s homecoming show on March 7th 2015 in the spectacular setting of the Liverpool Cathedral. Set for release on 30th October through Kscope (Steven Wilson, TesseracT, Katatonia) the concert was described by ‘Prog Magazine’ as “a once in a lifetime experience that words can barely do justice.” By my reckoning, those are the words of a reviewer admitting defeat, but more importantly, where this release is concerned, was the concert one that a recording can do justice?
To step back for a moment, it’s important to note that this is receiving both a DVD and audio release, and watching a band playing live is an integral part of any live concert experience. For this release, they’ve put a lot of work into making it a high-quality documentary, and here I shall quote at length from the press release, because it seems appropriate:
‘Having previously worked with Anathema on their acclaimed ‘Universal’ concert film, Lasse Hoile captured the 100 minute acoustic set in high definition against the sensational backdrop of Liverpool Cathedral. Featuring 15 songs selected from the albums Distant Satellites, Weather Systems, We’re Here Because We’re Here, A Natural Disaster and Alternative 4, the ‘Anathema Acoustic’ trio of Daniel Cavanagh, Vincent Cavanagh and Lee Douglas were joined by rhythm section John Douglas & Jamie Cavanagh, alongside their very talented close friend David Wesling on cello who also played on Hindsight (2009) and A Moment In Time (2006).’
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Sonically, it’s hard to fault. But since being introduced to Anathema by way of ‘We’re Here Because We’re Here’ in 2010, I’ve struggled to really engage with their work. I certainly don’t doubt the sincerity of the music or lyrics, and the musicianship is unfailingly admirable. Perhaps it works better with the visuals: a high-definition filming of a set performed in a church renowned for its remarkable architecture really doesn’t translate to audio, beyond the venue’s natural reverb – countered in part by the recording process. And we are talking about an acoustic set with a running time of an hour and forty minutes. That’s a long time to hold anyone’s attention.
For devoted fans, who already know all of the songs inside-out, it’s less of a challenge: they’ve already been won over, and are looking for the nuances and the details and the subtle changes in the arrangements. Extrinsically, though, the versions don’t ‘sell’ the songs or the band, and the end result is largely underwhelming. Yeah, maybe you had to be there… etc.
Anathema Online
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