It was a glorious evening at Wasing Park with two classic bands in fine form on the 28th of June.
There are all sorts of milestones at play this evening. Belle and Sebastian are celebrating thirty of years of classic album ‘If You’re Feeling Sinister.’ Saint Etienne are playing their final dates across 2026 and early 2027 before retiring the band.
Saint Etienne
The London band first formed in 1990 and have never quite sat in any particular box. At their peak they were considered indie-dance but they have shape shifted in various ways across the years. Originally a duo of Bob Stanley and Peter Wiggs, Sarah Cracknell joined them as lead vocalist soon after they have been a solid trio ever since. They have flirted with classic sixties sounds and full on dance over the years. In the 90s they were most well known for ‘He’s On The Phone,’ and ‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart.’ Their influence can be seen in the way Confidence Man were happy to collaborate for track ‘Brand New Me’ on Saint Etienne’s decent 2025 album, International.
The ten song set truly covered and reflected their entire career, with tracks from many different albums. It was all the way back to 1991 to kick off with the great ‘Nothing Can Stop Us,’ one suspects this track and the Foxtrot Alpha album were a big influence upon The Avalanches and a range of dance bands that came later on.
It is a perfect early evening set. The band are clearly enjoying themselves and the crowd are appreciative, all the more special in the unique wooded surrounds of On The Mount at Wasing. We could have happily had a longer set. Sadly, this is likely to be the first and last time we see Saint Etienne.
Belle and Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian seemed ubiquitous on Channel 4 dramas for a while. Their quirky tunes and hipster-adjacent stylings made them beloved of people who enjoyed a smarter turn of phrase. A lot of people found a way into their music that way and they have permanently flitted somewhere between cult classic band and genuinely mainstream indie-pop act. 1996 saw them release two albums. Tigermilk was only available on 1,000 copies until a later re-release and If Your Feeling Sinister was the far more well known of the two. They are alternating each album on their performances this year, spending two nights at The Royal Albert Hall earlier in the year to play one on each night. If Your Feeling Sinister is a remarkable album, full of charm, wit and whimsy. The band create amazing portraits and character sketches of people.
The band’s charm extends fully into the live arena where frontman Stuart Murdoch is a warm and humorous presence. He is impressed by the amount of trees on display at The Mount and makes an effort to identify as many different types as he can. They play If Your Feeling Sinister straight through in order. Quite a lot of these tracks rotate in and out of their normal live set but hearing them in this way, with little bits of commentary on the meaning behind them, makes for a wonderful performance.
Murdoch is a big football fan. Last time we saw the band, supporting their brilliant album Late Developers at the Oxford Academy, he was happy to delve into the local Oxford/Swindon rivalry. Tonight he issues an apology on behalf of the Scottish Football Association for the poor World Cup showing.
‘The Stars Of Track & Field’ is an opening reminder of their lyrical brilliance. The album shifts emotions subtly over its course. ‘Like Dylan In The Movies’ has always carried a feeling of depth and poignance. ‘Get Me Away From Here I’m Dying’ remains one of their most liked tracks, both among fans and in terms of casual listener streaming numbers.
‘If You’re Feeling Sinister’ contains one one of the maddest choruses possibly ever sang out loud by a large group of people:
“But if you’re feeling sinister
Go off and see a minister
He’ll try in vain to take away
The pain of being a hopeless unbeliever
La, la, la, la, la, la, la”
It remains as brilliant as the first day we heard it. ‘The Boy Done Wrong Again’ is another fine moment of pathos. The final album track, ‘Judy and the Dream of Horses’ is one song that is rarely missing from their live sets. With a full nine piece band, and with many members switching instruments on different tracks, the have a real range of sound that they can conjure up. Most instruments get a moment to shine and the trumpet part of ‘Judy and the Dream of Horses’ is a delight. They are not a band that sticks to one boring template.
They take a short break after completing the album to warm applause. When they come back it is time for a few deep cut fan favourites, the remarkable depth of their back catalogue being shown as much in what they choose not play as to what they do. We get ‘Sukie In The Graveyard,’ ‘Lord Anthony’ and ‘Step Into My Office, Baby.’
It is time for ‘The Boy With The Arab Strap.’ As is often customary at Belle and Sebastian gigs a number of members of the audience are invited up on stage to dance along. During an extended interlude in the song Murdoch asks different people who have joined them what their plans are for the Summer. This includes going to a wedding, starting a band (leading to a quick opportunity to play keyboard live on stage) and cat sitting. That right there in a nutshell is why Belle and Sebastian are so brilliant. Honest, charming, caring and a very human experience that battles off the exterior weight wrought by the current state of the world.
The dancers remain on stage for ‘I Didn’t See It Coming.’ We have had such a range of styles tonight, from chamber pop, to funkier turns to this beautiful little indie-pop song. They leave to rapturous applause before coming back for one final song. They are flitting between a couple of options before settling on ‘Lazy Line Painter Jane.’
What a gloriously brilliant sixteen songs and hour-and-three-quarters of entertainment they have provided us with. Belle and Sebastian remain a life affirming treat.
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