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2003 was a very pivotal year for Seattle’s very own Ben Gibbard. In the space of just 231 days, he released an album that would become a landmark for indietronica and glitch pop, becoming a shining definition for a “sleeper hit”, and released another album that would help catapult indie rock, as a whole, sky high into the public mainstream. This all happened during a time when he, as well as his fellow band members, would be working other day jobs in between tours in order to survive. But what are those two albums in question? The former is Give Up, the debut and only album by The Postal Service, and the latter is Transatlanticism, the fourth album by Death Cab for Cutie.
In September 2023, both bands embarked on a mammoth 20 year anniversary tour of the United States, selling out arenas all across the country (including 2 nights at Madison Square Garden) to thousands of adoring fans. It was so critically acclaimed and popular among fans that they added a second run of shows to the tour for Spring 2024, which sold out just as equally. Both the want and need for the celebrations to continue were clearly present among fans – the ball could not and will not stop rolling. And now, to the UK’s collective delight, they’re here in London to celebrate the 20th anniversary (technically 21 in 2024) of both albums, in the UK for the very first time. And needless to say, the reaction when they announced it was monumentally massive.
Tonight is also the last night of the annual All Points East festival here in Victoria Park, and they couldn’t have chosen a more perfect line-up for it. The East London crowd has access to anything and everything today – from Scottish indie legends Teenage Fanclub to French pop-rock icons Phoenix, from Brooklyn’s psychedelic soul trio Say She She to the riot grrrl sound of Sleater Kinney, from indie noise rockers Yo La Tengo to American dance-punk band Gossip, and much, much more. There’s even a visually stunning and gigantic X-shaped area for the BBC Radio 6 tent, where festivalgoers can go and dance the day away to DJ sets from the likes of Steve Lamacq, Los Bitchos, and Self Esteem. As someone who’s frequented festivals like Slam Dunk, BST Hyde Park, and Reading in the past, APE felt very much more communal, in the sense that it felt less like a festival site and more like a neighbourhood; which I guess is where they fittingly lend the name for their In The Neighbourhood program, come to think of it…
By 8.20 pm, the sun sets over in the distance and the stage lights on the East stage drop low as the Bellingham boys in Death Cab for Cutie come onstage dressed in all black, to set everyone’s emotions off (including mine) with The New Year. Everybody collectively took in a deep intake of breath, before belting out the opening lyric “So this is the new year / And I don’t feel any different” back to the band. In response, Ben is seen moving away from the mic, letting out a hyped-up bellow in the direction of bassist Nick Harmer. The crowd react lovingly when they hear the twiddly acoustic guitar riff for Title and Registration and the “ba ba” refrain of The Sound of Settling’s choruses – but when it came time for the album’s title track, it felt like the Earth stood still and everyone fell silent, to fully soak in the following 8 minutes of long distance anguish. Many people held their partners close when the title track’s iconic piano melody started playing, and the refrain of “I need you so much closer” brought tears to everyone’s eyes and choked everyone up.
The last half of the album is a true testament to just how stylistically variable and in-depth Death Cab can really be. Coming off of the emotional rollercoaster of the self-titled track, Passenger Seat brought everyone back down to the ground with the instantly recognisable piano melody and invited the entire field to sing along with Ben during its iconic bridge – “When you feel embarrassed, then I’ll be your pride / When you need directions, then I’ll be your guide, for all time.” He then dedicates fan favourite We Looked Like Giants to his friend “Colin Meloy, what a fucking songwriter” from The Decemberists as he, rather tongue-in-cheek-like, tells the crowd that “this song is about having sex in a car.” Ben Gibbard’s little dance moves that he showcases on stage when he sings got more groovy as the instrumental section came into full force, showing that he, like everyone else, doesn’t want this night to end.
“Alright, give us about 15 minutes and then we’re gonna Give Up” Ben yells out into the crowd after he strums the final chord on the acoustic outro A Lack of Color. The interlude gives everyone sufficient time to hug their friends, dry their eyes of tears, and put on their dancing shoes. And just like that, 15 minutes later, The Postal Service takes to the stage for the first time in the UK for 10 years (and 7th time in the UK overall!) to a deafening cheer, as the opening synth chords to The District Sleeps Alone Tonight ring out. Unlike Death Cab, the group are dressed in all white, with a bright blue background of lights shining behind them – an obvious contrast to the music we had just heard. Lead single and the self-proclaimed hit of the album, Such Great Heights, gets everybody singing and dancing, to the point where catching your breath seemed impossible. The hyperpop classic is one of the day’s biggest highlights, and I’m still replaying it in my mind even now!
The group are so fun to watch as well, and it’s hard to look away from what’s going on between the band. And they all seem so happy to be back on the stage playing together again – the amount of times I caught a glimpse of Jimmy (Dntel) smiling over at Ben says it all, really! After Ben finishes singing the last note of the first chorus of fan favourite Nothing Better, the crowd collectively and pre-emptively roars in excitement because, for the next verse, guitarist Jenny Lewis from Rilo Kiley fame will take the mic and sing along with the thousands of people here. In fact, anytime Jenny gets a mention or a line, the crowd reacts loudly and enthusiastically! At the end of my favourite song of the album, We Will Become Silhouettes, Ben ditches his guitar and runs to get behind Jason McGerr’s drum kit from an hour ago and does a drum solo as the track moves into its outro. It left me, and I’m sure everybody else, thinking one question: is there anything he can’t do?
After an encore that consisted of an acoustic version of Such Great Heights and a brilliant cover of Depeche Mode’s hit Enjoy the Silence with the other members of DCFC, the crowd filtered out and back into the cold streets of East London, taking the memories of an extraordinarily magical night with them. As I walked out of the festival site, I heard a voice from behind me ask their friend “Can you imagine if Death Cab does a Plans 20th-anniversary tour too??”, and it got me thinking – it has to be done. Not only is it a fact that anniversary shows are always highly requested of acts and are a special cause of celebration for something so monumental, but also Plans was the album that, thanks to Transatlanticism, propelled DCFC into (excuse the Postal Service pun) such great heights, and is as beloved of an album now as it was upon release. But yeah, that’s just an idea, Ben… Just saying.
Review – Joe Richardson
The Postal Service live photos by Ellie Koepke & Phoebe Fox
Death Cab live photo by Ellie Koepke
Via All Points East social media, HERE
