While it’s true that Snow Patrol has been on hiatus for the past seven years, the Irish rockers with the dreamy melodies and romantic lyrics showed no signs of slowing down when they played the Warfield in San Francisco last night. In fact, the break must have been good for the britpop quartet since they sounded as good if not better than they did the last time I saw them perform so long ago.
Singing their trademark melancholic tunes, the band played brilliantly for the legion of fans that had trekked out on a Monday night to see their idols in action. Barring a few technical difficulties at the start of the show the boys did their best to recover but not without a quip here and there. “I’m having some technical difficulties tonight and my voice is shot,” said singer Gary Lightbody. “If you know the lyrics to any of these songs, please sing them for me. Even if it’s a Celine Dion song. As long as it’s in key that’s fine.”
The crowd chuckled alongside Lightbody, who was full of wit the entire performance. It’s a side of the singer that’s not always shared and came across as sincere and comforting considering his openness in the press lately about his personal struggles.
Highlights for this trek of the tour included a crowd singalong for “Run,” a powerful anthem that still conjures the same strong emotions today. But really what stood out as the unforgettable moment of the night came midway into the set when Lighbody brought out opener Billie Marten for a duet version of “Set Fire to the Third Bar.” It was hauntingly beautiful and the harmonies created by both singers as they stood side by side resonated as angelic and sacred.
Photos by Louis Raphael
