The subtle name change is perhaps the most obvious and immediate suggestion of changes having been made in the camp of the band formerly known as iLiKETRAiNS, although since the collapse of their record label, Beggar Banquet, they've reclaimed true independence and evolved their sound significantly over the course of their last two releases.
The gathering crowd who give Swimming a respectful reception as they perform their set that merges 90s shoegaze with 80s synth pop (think Ride duelling with Midge Ure era Ultravox) also strike me as being different, demographically and stylistically speaking. No longer are Trains only for nerds and hip young things, for tonight the number of older people is distinctly noticeable. There are goths, too. And a guy who looks suspiciously like Andrew Eldritch without his shades on, but I wouldn't like to say for sure. So it would appear that touring with the Sisters of Mercy may have won them some new (old) fans.
The stage show, too, is different. Gone are the film of trains and the old uniforms. In their place, there is darkness, stark lighting and smoke. Lots of smoke. I can't help but wonder where they might have drawn their inspiration for this, too. This time around, the band are touring with new additional guitarist, Ian, who adds an extra depth and dimension to the sound. The silhouetted forms lend atmosphere and are entirely fitting with the dense sound emanating from the stage.
The new opener, 'Sirens,' is built around a looping, nagging guitar line and further suggests that they've abandoned the old formula - a point confirmed in the wealth of new material that comprises the majority of he set. Perhaps not before time, either. While 'Progress Reform' set the blueprint, by 'Elegies to Lessons Learnt' it sounded tired, probably through having been exhausted.
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The setlist implies that the band feel much the same about it with only 'Death of An Idealist' appearing in the main body of the set (I also note that there are no copies available at the merch stall). 'Victress,' criminally relegated to a B-side instead of featuring on the album also gets an airing, and from further back, 'Terra Nova' and 'A Rookhouse for Bobby,' which is perhaps the only track where the absence of brass is particularly noticeable, are still features of the set.
The remainder of the time is given to new material, and not a crescendo to be heard. Instead, there are a lot more uptempo tracks, propelled by some powerhouse drumming, particularly evident on 'A Father's Son.' New single, 'Sea of Regrets' not only sits well, but sounds like a future classic, and with the mix of old and new material, the set has more variety than days of old. It works a treat.
They close with a blisteringly intense version of 'Spencer Perceval' and leave the stage in a squall of feedback and a resonating wall of bass hum that the Jesus and Mary Chain would have been proud of. How do you encore after that? Trains are smart, and they don't. A comparatively short but remarkably powerful set tells us that this is a new era for Trains, and judging by the audience reaction, I'm not the only one who's excited by this prospect.
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