Belle And Sebastian Overcome Their Venue

If you're going to put on a show featuring the best indie pop bill of the year in the middle of the winter, best not to do it at the Docks complex. I realize that room accommodates thousands and the sound isn't bad. But the sightlines are terrible and the fact that literally every single person seemed pissed off that they were on the other side of the lake and couldn't see meant Belle And Sebastian and The New Pornographers had to put in monster efforts to satisfy their fans on Saturday night.

Carl Newman's BC collective only kind of pulled it off. With Immaculate Machine's Kathryn Calder subbing for Neko Case, the Pornos looked a little bewildered by the massive audience. Not a single member of the band did so much as move an inch during their 50-minute set, which was basically an abbreviated version of the one I saw them play at the Phoenix in October.

Standing near the back of the room (there was no way to get closer than 15-25 metres from the stage without a security escort), "It's Only Divine Right," "Jackie Dressed In Cobras," "Twin Cinema" and a slew of other hits sometimes sounded note-perfect, while other times it was like listening to a kick drum with a pile of harmonies on top. At the very least, Calder handily pulled off a solid Case impression on "Mass Romantic" and "Bones Of An Idol." Not the best Pornographers set, but surprisingly passable when you consider the absence of two of their most distinctive voices (Dan Bejar being the other one).

The last time I saw Belle And Sebastian was at an equally miscast location: the Kool Haus. At that show, their first Toronto appearance, the Scottish group featured roughly 14 players and still managed to have people shouting "Play louder!" all night long. What a difference four years makes. It seems that Stuart Murdoch has gotten it into his head that it's more fun to be a rock star than being quiet and somewhat pissy. Donning a black hat and a striped shirt, the enigmatic frontman owned the stage for the duration of the band's two-hour set.

From a music perspective, it helps that Belle And Sebastian are touring their best album since If You're Feeling Sinister. All of The Life Pursuit's tracks were among the night's best, if maybe not the most revered. "White Collar Boy" was played stunningly, as were "Another Sunny Day" and "Funny Little Frog." But the faithful had clearly trekked as far as they did for the hits. Luckily, Belle And Sebastian didn't hesitate to reward them.

The set began with an immaculate version of "Stars Of Track And Field." "Fox In The Snow" and their masterpiece "Dylan In The Movies" were also given new and improved B&S run-throughs. Even Murdoch made fun of the difference in the band's demeanor and technical skill.

"That was a little slick for Belle And Sebastian," he joked near the beginning of the set. The twee singer was jovial all night, dancing like The Happy Mondays' Bez during some tracks and playfully bantering with guitarist Stevie Jackson between songs.

Tigermilk's "Electronic Renaissance" and "She's Losing It" prompted full room singalongs, and a girl who came onstage during the band's Massey Hall set was invited back for a couple of tracks. Fold Your Hands And Walk Like A Peasant Child was also represented, while The Boy With The Arab Strap was overlooked entirely.

It was pretty much the perfect night for Belle And Sebastian fans, if hundreds of them didn't find themselves stuck in the middle of nowhere without a cab in sight at midnight. Oh well, at least they had "Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying" to comfort them as they walked through the blizzard, under the Gardiner and back into the city.