Some Cities - Doves

Seeing Doves perform at Twickenham Stadium in June 2005 reminded me of what a crappy job being a support band is. They were, in this instance, one of the support acts for U2. It was broad daylight, the stadium was mostly empty and the sound was atrocious. Even though I knew the songs I couldn't distinguish them from one another. They seemed to echo around the hollow stadium.
Listening to this album again, it doesn't surprise me that the music got lost in the rafters that day. It is much too subtle to fill a stadium - even with perfect sound the Manchester trio would've had problems. They are not U2 so hadn't designed their music on a stadium-filling agenda.
That is not, however, to say that the songs aren't epic - they are - epic, atmospheric, moody and beautiful.
Check out 'The Storm' which takes a Sakamoto orchestral piece and mixes it with a laid back dub loop. Epic but not fit for a stadium. Somehow I just can't see U2 ever being this brave, but when were U2 last a support band; playing to a handful of people in a huge but empty stadium in broad daylight?