Brilliant Eyes | William the Conqueror
Wulfrun Corridor, Wolverhampton
Tuesday twenty fourth June 2025
Eclectic Omaha legends carry their field of devices and love of Peaky Blinders to Wolverhampton. That is the primary day of Sam Lambeth’s life.
William the Conqueror have to be the one band to obtain well mannered heckles. When a fan within the entrance row requests a deep lower Jesus Died A Younger Man, it’s with the sort of reserved pleasantness you anticipate when somebody asks should you’ve completed with a newspaper. Even higher are the shouts of “thanks” the three-piece receives upon enjoying it. The Gallaghers could be spinning of their monobrowed graves at such lovey dovey kindness, however William the Conqueror exudes it. Possibly it’s the very fact they appear genuinely satisfied to be right here, possibly it’s the Cornish sea air working by their veins or possibly it’s that they produce the sort of scorched alt nation that solely Wilco do higher, however everybody within the room has warmed to them by the top of their set.
It’s clear that Conor Oberst isn’t English. Whereas most British persons are complaining concerning the warmth like Mark Corrigan attempting to manage his boiler, the Brilliant Eyes frontman swaggers onto the stage with the hood of his thick-looking jacket up. Along with his lank black locks draped throughout his frowning face, the Nebraska native appears to be like like he’s about to go 12 rounds with Conor Benn. Both he’s learn up on what Wolverhampton will be like after 8pm, or he’s prepared for a musical battle.
And it’s a becoming image of Brilliant Eyes’ music – inconceivable to outline, scrappy in spirit and with a pugilistic rage all the time brimming beneath the floor. It’s there from the start with the infectious strut of Bells and Whistles, whose jaunty rhythms are interrupted with stabs of distortion and Oberst working to the drum riser like he’s been zapped with a cattle prod.
The band’s 2024 album 5 Dive, All Threes comprises quite a lot of brisk, optimistic attraction, however there are nonetheless underlying parts of deep emotional gravity. The galloping acoustics of El Capitan is cloaked in funereal aesthetics, whereas Oberst wonders, “I by no means thought I’d see 45, how is it that I’m nonetheless alive?” within the light sway of Bas Jan Ader. In the meantime, the group have most of the Wolverhampton crowd choking again the tears on the contemplative ballad Tiny Suicides.
The group clearly take pleasure in their devices, too. When he isn’t leaping round giddily like an off-duty dad, guitarist Mike Mogis is including expressive mandolin to the light We Are Nowhere and It’s Now, in addition to metal pedal and banjo to a bunch of others.
Fellow long-time member Nate Walcott – proprietor of the very best aspect parting within the enterprise – virtually has whiplash from shortly switching between keys and trumpet. Oberst exhibits off his personal chops, too, busting out the harmonica (“an historical piece of package, handed down by the Druids”) on the epic Gold Mine Gutted and getting behind the piano for the mournful Spring Cleansing.
Oberst’s voice has lengthy had an identical vibe to the late Austin eccentric Daniel Johnston, so it’s maybe no shock that they pay homage with a beautiful, wealthy and full cowl of Satan City. However whereas Johnston’s lyrics had been misleading of their simplicity, Oberst has all the time been a literate, thought-provoking author. Their largest hit First Day Of My Life has a wide-eyed surprise that has rendered it ceaselessly related. In the meantime, a politicised discomfort and chunk runs by Highway to Pleasure and Land Locked Blues.
All through the present, Oberst himself adjustments feelings as unilaterally because the group adjustments tempos. One second the singer appears to be like troubled and dazed, the following he’s spinning and frolicking like a Strictly contestant. His stage banter usually has a shambling high quality to it, whether or not he’s going right into a rant concerning the state of the world or attempting to schmooze Wolverhampton natives by saying he loves the Birmingham-set present Peaky Blinders (the group doesn’t admire this). Multi-instrumentalist MiWi La Lupa does barely higher, saying he couldn’t wait to play Wolverhampton as a result of Girl Wulfruna ran with wolves “and that’s the sort of lady I can actually dig.”
The impressively-sized crowd are on Oberst’s aspect from the very starting, nevertheless. Lank-haired pensioners gyrate and collide in beer-fuelled embraces. Youthful males – principally in scruffy apparel, principally bearded, principally sporting glasses – shout requests and look on with the admiration of an enormous brother.
Ending with One for You, One for Me, Brilliant Eyes stays a curious however extremely compelling entry into the American songbook. At instances folky and introspective, at others charging and fuzzy, Oberst and co thrive on being unpredictable. It’s that mercurial spirit that’s seen them stay a touchstone of other rock because the flip of the century. Now Oberst simply must maintain perfecting his salsa strikes.
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Brilliant Eyes are on Fb. You’ll find William the Conqueror at their web site.
All phrases by Sam Lambeth. Sam is a journalist and musician. Extra of his work for Louder Than Struggle is accessible on his archive. You’ll find his music on Spotify.
All photographs by Paul Reynolds. He will be discovered on Instagram.
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