All Points East review: noughties fest in east London with Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie

LCD Soundsystem headlining on Friday, with Death Cab for Cutie and the Postal Service replaying albums from 2003. 

In Cupra North Stage, the Kills and Gossip thrilled by pounding out hits like Standing In The Way of Control from 2005.

And Phoenix closed out their West Stage set with 1901 from Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix in the comparatively recent 2009.

The only difference from two decades earlier was the slightly receding hairlines and the array of smartphones.

This rare and historic conglomeration of indie legends was perfect for the All Points East faithful.

It was the Postal Service’s first gig in the UK for more than a decade, and LCD Soundsystem returned as headliners after gracing the first edition of the festival in 2018.

Other legends included Pixies who wowed the crowd in the golden hour sun on the Friday evening, with classics like Here Comes Your Man.

Black Francis finished by singing a unique version of Where Is My Mind.

On Sunday, in the Cupra North Stage, Gossip’s Beth Ditto gave another inimitable performance, joking with the crowd about Covid and the Tories in her Arkansas drawl.

The crowd moshed along to Standing In The Way Of Control and Heavy Cross like it was 2009 all over again.

Headlining the final night of All Points East was the special twin header of Ben Gibbard’s bands Death Cab for Cutie and the Postal Service. 

Before recording 2003’s seminal Transatlanticism, Washington state outfit Death Cab took a break and lead singer Gibbard teamed up with Jimmy Tamborello to record the cult classic Postal Service album Give Up.

Around this time, Gibbard and Death Cab became part of a cultural moment as part of the music of California coming of age drama The OC which aired on Channel 4.

Looking around at the ages of the crowd, it looked like a lot of people discovered Death Cab through Seth Cohen like myself. 

At All Points East, Gibbard and co started clad in black for the mournful Transatlanticism.

It’s a brilliant concept album, beginning with the upbeat The New Year, before moving through Title and Registration and Expo 86.

The Sound of Settling was an upbeat singalong, before the spectacular Tiny Vessels was my highlight.

The title track Transatlanticism had the crowd belting back ‘I need you so much closer’, before the heartfelt A Lack Of Colour closed out the first part of the set.

Gibbard’s voice remarkably hasn’t changed in over 20 years of performing, sounding pitch perfect to the album.

And his excitement and enthusiasm at performing was palpable, telling the crowd: “This festival has been like a North West [US] reunion: Sleater-Kinney and The Decemberists… I was watching Decemberists thinking Colin (Meloy) is such a brilliant songwriter.”

Before the start of the Postal Service’s set, now clad all in white, he said: “We proudly present to you our album, Give Up.”

After a brilliant performance of the band’s iconic song, Such Great Heights, Gibbard looked back on the Postal Service’s first gig in the capital: “Looking out on you all, I can’t help but remember the first time we played in London in 2003, I remember seeing [Flaming Lips’] Wayne Coyne in the balcony.”

The band finished with an acoustic version of Such Great Heights and a cover of Depeche Mode’s Enjoy The Silence.

The two sets worked well together, with Postal Service’s electronic beats coming after the emotional indie of Death Cab.

But the real stars of the festival were LCD Soundsystem who headlined the East Stage on Friday night.

James Murphy’s iconic Brooklyn dance-punk outfit still have the same edge as when they burst onto the scene in the early noughties.

US v Them was the pounding opener before the band moved onto You Wanted A Hit and Tribulations.

I Can Change really got the crowd going before a sombre Murphy dedicated Someone Great to his business partner Justin Chearno, who had died the day before.

He told the crowd: “We’re all f****** destroyed. We’re trying our best. We love him and miss him. This sucks. Thank you for being here and being a part of it.’’

The penultimate, sing-tingling tune New York, I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Down was also dedicated to Chearno, who was co-founder alongside Murphy of a Michelin-starred Brooklyn restaurant.

Then the equally poignant All My Friends brought the house down. A five-star performance from a five-star band.