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ANATHEMA Mean Fiddler, London, 28 January 2006

Review by Nick Calverey

Seeing Anathema take to the stage last night at The Mean Fiddler was, clearly for more than just me, somewhat akin to meeting up with an old friend for a drink and being reminded exactly and vividly what it is that brought you together in the first place.

The spontaneous roar from the crowd at the end of their opener was unprecedented for a band playing a support slot, and to say they were show-stealers would be a misnomer, in that for many people (clearly evidenced by the number of people departing immediately after they concluded their 40-minute set - and no disrespect intended to Paradise Lost) they WERE the show and the reason for having braved the cold to venture out and wait in the long queue down the fragrant corridor (known on maps as "Falconberg Court", but unofficially dubbed "Piss Alley") alongside the venue.

A good array of their songs was played, with a slight emphasis on the last three records, and the mass-singalong that erupted during One Last Goodbye was evidence of this band's ability to capture hearts with the sheer emotive quality of its music. As Vincent Cavanagh sings "And in the early morning light, after a silent peaceful night, you took my heart away, I wished, I wished you could have stayed" and brother Danny launches into the brilliant (musically) accompanying guitar solo, aside from my enjoyment of it all, I stand there wondering how a band like this has been mostly ignored by the mainstream, dismissed as "miserable" by some in the generally-more-open-minded metal fraternity, and finds itself in 2006 without even a record deal.

Whether they've been courted by record companies since leaving Music For Nations and have just been picky, I do not know, but I fail to see how they could ever be deemed unmarketable, unlistenable, or too on-the-fringes to have any great potential audience.

They could out-Coldplay Chris Martin and co., out-Keane any bunch of pudgy baby-faced geeks (but would we want them to?), and out-bloody-anything any other band you can think of that's making remotely intelligent yet radio-friendly rock.

Danny Cavanagh comes across onstage as very demanding and uncompromising, and pity the fool who finds himself behind the mixing desk at one of their live shows, so I hope it is this perfectionism and the extension of it that means Anathema remain unsigned, looking for a label that will grant them the freedom to decide their ultimate direction.

The lack of any Anathema items at the merch stand was indicative of the last-minute nature of many of their live performances recently, often announcing their supporting slots well after gigs have been sold out completely (in the case of their previous and upcoming shows with HIM), and I will spend the next couple of months watching eBay for a reasonably-priced ticket for the Brixton date in April, hoping to again catch a brief glimpse of them - a quick fix to keep me going.

As for a new release (and record deal, maybe) and headlining tour: only time will tell, but I know I'm far from alone in dreaming of the day it's announced ...