Keane Came As Strangers, Left As Friends

Positivus festival, Salacgrīva, Latvia

June 20th 2012

As long as Positivus festival has existed (6 years), there has been a wish to have Keane playing amidst these woods of pine trees in Salacgrīva. Finally, that wish of organizers has come true and the long anticipated and well known English alternative rock band Keane honored Positivus audience as the main headliners on June 20th.

Just like their last album Strangeland, starts their show – with the song You Are Young. Fearful child have faith in brighter days/Stay until this darkness fades away. For a moment it seems that also the lead singer Tom Chaplin takes the role of his created ‘fearful child’ that has arrived in this ‘strangeland’ – an unknown audience yet to discover. They continue with Bend and Break from their first album Hopes and Fears, and then again a song from the last album follows. Though some music reviews have criticized Strangeland as a way back in their music career, Keane are very proud to present the album songs constantly intertwining them between such well known hits as Nothing In My Way, Perfect Symmetry, Everybody’s Changing. 

Moreover, Strangeland, the title song of the last album, is presented in a special intimate atmosphere turning off the lights, illuminating the title Strangeland on their back, switching off the guitar and showing Keane in its classical element – with piano played by Tom Chaplin. ‘This is our first visit in Latvia ever,’ the lead singer reveals after the song and further on confirms it with the next song We Might As Well Be Strangers – strangers in this new land which the band seems to start to like as Tom praises ‘the beautiful festival’ and expresses regret for not having known about it earlier. 

Perhaps, there are moments when the songs from the album Strangeland make the audience feel a bit like losing connection persistently demanding and waiting for the band’s greatest hits. And they get them right after the song Disconnected! This Is The Last Time, Somewhere Only We Know, Is It Any Wonder and finally Bedshaped as a dedication to the magical Positivus festival as they call it. But what do I know? What do I know? I know! The lyrics of the song say, and they fit so perfectly with the concept of a strange land the band has now discovered on their way from being a ‘fearful child’ in their first song. And yes! Now they know they need to come for encore! They perform Sea Fog creating a very intimate moment with piano as the only background instrument. Then it’s time for Sovereign Light Café, and with truly admitting they have enjoyed every moment in the festival calling it an ‘incredible experience’ they perform the very last song Crystal Ball as if passing it to this ‘magic festival’ with its magic crowd. Yes, what do they know? They know! Now they know this strangeland Latvia.