“We exist in the unified verse.“
Last year, one of the most coveted Outbreak sets was The Hotelier‘s full performance of their revival-emo classic Home, Like Noplace Is There. The set was tragically exclusive to the festival, suggesting that the band would be back over the Atlantic before long with a full headline show. Sure enough, they returned to close out spring for our continent with a run through some of the UK and EU’s most intimate venues.
Photography by Sophie Robinson – contact Sophie prior to any use. We had agents at several shows on this run, so our insights pool these experiences, with a final write-up from Dobbin based in London.
Dancer
The Hotelier were always going to sell this tour out on their name alone, so they could pick whoever they wanted for the opening slot – and they really did. Whilst mixed bills are always welcome, Dancer really are not a band you’d throw into a ‘Carhartt emo’ line-up. They’d make a quirky addition to a more ‘jangly’ event, such as an indie-pop or post punk show. Their tight backline takes an alternative approach to guitars, with lots of tapping, 80s chorus-chords, and unusual techniques. Coupled with high register bass playing and sporadically tight patterns, they arrived at an easy-going “honky-tonk” sound. Much more marmite was their singer, whose technique, or lack thereof, relied on inflections that were not easy on the ears. The ensemble were strongest in their more intense moments, like “Make a Decision” where mathy guitar twirls gave the idiosyncrasies of the vocals more context. Ultimately, the key disconnect was with their emotional approach – The Hotelier were about to play through some absolute heartbreakers, yet Dancer were offering toe tappers and polite frustration. At any rate, there were a good few in the audience who caught Dancer‘s beat, and their inclusion should be read as a personal recommendation from the headliners; a clear signal that The Hotelier don’t seek to see their music as tied or reliant on one specific scene.
The Hotelier
The Hotelier opened with a new take on “Goodness Pt. 1“, a more suspenseful, perhaps post rock inspired approach to the hidden acoustic track of their discography. Scott Ayotte led with deep-set keys, akin to a This Will Destroy You track, joined by guitar swells that would give Explosions in the Sky a run for their money. It was immediately clear that time has only improved Christian Holden‘s singing, delivering his tender poetry with no hints of road-wear on his voice, even so late into the tour. The subsequent tracks – “In Framing” and “Your Deep Rest” – answered the suspense of the opener with absolute rancour from the audience. Even though The Hotelier hardly repeats a line, their audiences have studied lyric sheets in detail, belting every line back, and with a mic on stage for the whole front-line it was an immensely shared experience.
Whilst this was not a Home, Like Noplace Is There tour, almost all of its tracks were played, just leaving “Discomfort Revisited” out. The main set also included a throwback to the debut (“An Ode to the Nite Ratz Club“) and some essentials from Goodness (the interlude into “Two Deliverances” and “End Of Reel“). These naturally would not compete with the Home material for audience response, but especially the latter tracks are a more sedate and no less poetic form of the band. Discussions with other fans surrounding the tour has spurred a renewed interest and appreciation for Goodness.
In London, Christian did a big thank-you session for the whole touring crew and Dancer. Ayotte, who’s often toured with The Hotelier to beef out their line-up with keys, guitar and even more vocals, briefly plugged his acoustic Born Without Bones show the next night (with two lovely supports, Failwife and The Losing Score). Handling of their encore was a world-class affair: in Manchester, they faked their deaths to dramatic applause, crawling back to live to play “Settle The Scar” and “Goodness Pt. 2” (no requests this time). In London they were playing against a tight curfew, meaning everything started earlier and were left with time for three audience requests (“Title-Track (There Is a Light)“, “Soft Animal” and “Settle The Scar“). If setlist.fm is the scripture we treat it as, the other tracks that came up across the tour were “Sun“, “Weathered“, and “Housebroken“, the latter of which immediately graduated to the main-set after its request. These antics were only really possible thanks to the small venues the band had booked, so props to them for not upgrading. They’ve always been finishing with the contractually-obligated “Dendron“, and whilst there were no means for a full stage pile-on that was last year’s Outbreak performance, the moment was no less cathartic.
The Hotelier will return to the UK and EU later this year as part of the Common Thread tour, dates for which can be found here.