Although the Forum was already quite full by the time support act Wintercoats (AKA James Wallace) came on stage, most punters opted to drink and chat, which unfortunately meant that their voices could be heard throughout the whole set.

Wintercoats is a one-man band, using a violin, keyboard, vocals and a loop pedal to build up layers and parts. We can draw a bleedingly obvious comparison to Owen Pallett, but Wintercoats’ tunes are not as quirky or dramatic as Palletts; they’re chillwave-tinged and much more subtle. Wintercoats’ singing is also softer and more raw and restrained. Live, his songs are more stripped back than their recordings, though he has rearranged them to suit his solo live delivery. Watching him create percussion by tapping or knocking the body and strings of his violin, layering the drawn and plucked violin melodies until it sounds like a quartet of violinists, fading sections in and out—it is evident that he works wonders with the loop pedal. Stand out tracks included ‘Cathedral’, ‘Windmill’ and ‘Unbearable Thinking’, all from the 2010 EP Cathedral.

Japanese post-rock/contemporary classical quartet Mono were backed by the Holy Ground Orchestra: strings, percussion and woodwinds, among other instruments, supported Mono’s guitars, drums, bass, glockenspiel, gong(!) and piano. The orchestra added extra depth and body to the music, bringing to life the orchestral parts off of the records.

Mono focused on songs from their latest album, 2009’s Hymn To The Immortal Wind, with a few from their previous albums - though not that many songs were played at all during their 90-minute set, due to the length of some of them!

As Mono’s music is all instrumental, there was no need for the band to have microphones. While it would have been nice to hear them say a few words between songs, the fact that there was no banter made the performance more cohesive; with the orchestra behind them and the audience silent (except for one embarrassingly enthusiastic shouter), it almost seemed like we were at a classical concert (if only the show were held in a seated theatre!!).

The sound in the Forum was perfectly balanced and enabled Mono and the orchestra to explore the highs and lows of Mono’s enthralling, cinematic compositions, which could completely change tones two or three times within their ten-minute durations (opener ‘Ashes In The Snow’ was a perfect example). Sorrowful piano and devastating strings contrasted with the crashing of cymbals and furious strumming of guitars. A sentimental verse turned into a thunderous tsunami of noise without warning.

Not only was the music utterly compelling, but Mono’s performance was as well. Tamaki Kunishi swayed as she played bass, sometimes plucking at the strings as though she was handling a harp. Yasunori Takada provided the essential thumping drums, giving their songs that extra push into the stratosphere. Guitarists Yoda and Takaakira Goto both sat on stools, but that didn’t inhibit their movement in any way—they tossed their long hair in time with the music, constantly tapped their feet and twisted and turned so violently during the loud parts that it wouldn’t have been surprising had they fallen off their seats.

Goto, in particular, was mesmerising to watch; at the end of one song, he fell to his knees, held his guitar up to cause feedback and then touched his teeth to his guitar strings, in true rock style. During the climax of another song, he set aside his guitar and writhed around on the ground, thrashing about with intensity; even those in the orchestra who were not playing at that moment had their eyes glued to him. Their movements made it seem like they were completely absorbed by the emotions in their music; it seemed natural, not purely for show.

After closing with ‘Everlasting Light’, the band members gestured their thanks to the audience as well as the orchestra. Yoda threw his pick into the crowd and the orchestra’s conductor joined Mono at the front of the stage for a final bow. There was no encore, but after such an epic (in every sense of the word) performance, there was no need.