The Alix Goolden Hall is the performance hall for the Victoria Conservatory of Music. It's also the location for several bands to play when they visit Victoria. Seating around 800 people it's a special place to watch live music. It's an old church, that's been converted into a music space. The seating is on two tiers, with bench pews around the top, still well underneath the high vaulted ceiling, and wooden chairs in the large space below. The stage is a about six inches high, and bring the audience and performers really close together. The background to the performance is a large pipe organ, while both walls have huge stained glass windows... the west facing one catching the evening sun just as the evening performances start.
I've seen two concert there. The first was Billy Bragg, Britain's Working Class Hero singer-song writer and socialist agitator. He fitted the venue perfectly. One man, his guitar and his songs front and centre, surrounded by a very appreciative audience. The acoustics are great, and his simple songs of love, loss and struggle of the common man reached out to all. As did his monologues about the songs, his take on the politics of Canada and general observations of being a father with a son whose growing up and playing guitars.
The other concert I saw, much more recently, was the rescheduled Said the Whale show. Very different group for this one. While Billy Bragg's audience tended to be my age and older, Said the Whale have a much younger following. It also being an all-ages show also helped to fill the venue with 15-23 year olds, out to appreciate a local BC band. Not many of the seats on the lower floor had bodies in by half way through the support act (Abbotsford's Oh No! Yoko), standing up to the stage. But very well behaved, no-one jumped on the stage or started a crazy mosh pit (or any sort of overly energetic dancing).
Oh No! kicked things off with a mismash of emo/indie-rock. Lots of jumping around by the guitars, bashing on the drums, but not going anywhere. The energy seemed, wasted. They either want to be a high energy, rock out band, or focus more on the tunes and mellow out. But this sort of half-measure didn't strike me at all.
The main act, however, owned it. Said the Whale mix up a laid back west coast guitar indie with elements of 60's pop and folk roots. Half the songs are observations on the people they've met, and the other half on the places they love across North America. Or are a combination of the two. The two leads complement each other's styles, with very able backing on bass and keyboards. The drummer really ties the band together though, just like the rug in the Big Lebowski. Spot on rhythms, using not just the standard drum kit, but a variety of other percussion. They led of with the excellent "Heavy Ceiling", which didn't quite hit home, but the sound man sorted out the levels, and they just got better. The highlight was probably "Big Sky, Montana", a song about a grandfather's love for his wife, about wandering the mountainsides, a tribute to a man who obviously had a great influence on the singer's life.
The venue really set of this BC band's style as well. Close up and personal with a band who really react to their environment, and to their fans. They got better as the event went on. If your thinking of seeing someone when they come to town, and the venue is the Alix Goolden, it's worth it. I'm guessing a post-hardcore, full-bore mosh out concert wouldn't be so good, but for a more casual band, if they can't work well in there, they probably won't be able to go well anywhere.
Website : http://vcm.bc.ca/venues/alix-goolden-hall/
Location : 907 Pandora Avenue, Victoria, V8V 3N4
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