Last year when Halifax’s In-Flight Safety played NSMW, they teased a number of new songs from a new album that seemed like it just may never come out (their last album came out in 2009). This year in Truro, the indie pop rock band had a slightly different lineup and a new album to support after the summer release of Conversationalist. Fresh off U.S. swing through New York and New Hampshire, the band were loose and seemed happy to be playing a room with so many familiar faces back in their own backyard. In-Flight Safety is made up of John Mullane (vocals) and Glen Nicholson (drums) and friends. The current lineup includes Chris Pernell (Joel Plaskett Emergency, Yellow Jacket Avenger) on bass, Matt Scott (Matt Mays) on keys and Jon Samuel (Wintersleep) on guitar.
It’s fitting drummer Glen Nicholson was wearing a Divine Fits t-shirt on stage earlier in the night while playing with Dance Movie. Much like Divine Fits/Operators drummer Sam Brown, Nicolson’s tight bombastic drumming brought the songs to a whole new level that can only be experienced live as the thud of the kick drum rattles the organs in your rib cage. This effect was on full display during the track “Stockholm” as Nicholson’s drums were paired nicely with piercing synth from Matt Scott in an all-encompassing sound. Last year’s NSMW set was a teaser of things to come with a few kinks yet to be filled out. In Truro, In-Flight Safety were a confident, proudly unleashing an animal that took years to make.
Photo: Jonathan Briggins/Mixtape Magazine
