Damien Rice
Scala, London on Wednesday 28 March 2007
Without sounding too much like an Xfm advocate, I have to say that over the past few years, the radio station have played host to some pretty big names in some pretty small venues. Take Damien Rice tonight for instance. He recently sold out a large theatre tour, and tickets for his Wembley Arena date in the summer are flying. He’s also just been announced as a headliner on the acoustic stage at Glastonbury. In a few weeks the minuscule 100 Club on Oxford Street plays host to Kings of Leon, again, thanks to Xfm. That will be a sight to behold. Needless to say, I felt pretty privileged to be amongst the few that were in attendance at London Scala to see Damien Rice.
Earlier in the day I was a little disappointed to hear that the support act, Fionn Regan, had pulled a ‘sickie’ so I didn’t turn up until 5 minutes before Damien Rice was due to kick-off. When I got into the venue it was already packed and similar to a steam room or a sauna. It was actually a little too moist and humid to be a sauna. Before I had time to relax and take in my surroundings (fear not, there were plenty of opportunities during the set to gaze aimlessly at various people and walls) the DJ was on stage introducing Damien Rice for his exclusive radio set. It was at that precise moment that the first dribble of sweat made its way down my back and into my arse crack. All part and parcel of the gig experience.
Immediately Damien Rice gained the respect of the audience as he kicked off his stripped down acoustic set with '9 Crimes'. If anybody had a pin to drop then the whole venue could have heard it. Instead the whole venue had the pleasure of hearing the noise of fake camera shutters constantly going off. I hope their grainy pictures are over exposed. I also had the enjoyment of being able to watch the whole gig on the camera phone of the man stood in front of me. It’s a good job he was filming every single second of the gig because I couldn’t see the stage past his sodding phone. Rather than savour the evening, he wasted his by looking at his mobile for 90 minutes. His memory will be limited to his wobbly clips on YouTube. Mobile phones rant over.
Renowned for being a bit grumpy (possible understatement?), Rice seemed to be in a fairly chatty mood. I had no pity for him when he shared with us that he was meant to be on a day off but instead he was playing with a massive hangover due to his Hammersmith Apollo after show the previous night. It must be tough when you sell a few million records and go out and get lashed after your own sold out show. On a few occasions he also started telling a story before stopping as we ‘wouldn’t understand’. A frustrating side to Rice.
Big news in the Damien Rice camp from this week was that he has split from his long-time backing singer Lisa Hannigan. Midway through the set some fella who had probably been waiting for the right moment all night, shouted “Where’s Lisa?” to which I thought “Who cares?” and Rice aptly answered “I don’t know”. However, a few of the tunes lacked depth without Hannigan. ‘Volcano’ was probably the prime example of a song lost without the support vocals. Hopefully she goes onto some bigger and better things without the shadow Rice hanging over her.
Don’t get me wrong, Rice is capable of producing many moments of breathtaking beauty and he managed to do so on numerous occasions over the course of this gig. ‘Coconut Skins’ and ‘The Blowers Daughter’ were both mesmerising and worth turning up for by themselves. But there also seemed to be a lot of filler where he took to the keyboards for a few minutes of ‘tinkering’. In fact the only time that the audience clapped along and became involved was just after one of the quietest encores I’ve recently witnessed. Cellist Vivienne Long came to the stage and played the charming ‘Random Man on the Motorway’ which came as some light-hearted relief from Rice’s rather self involved look on life.
I’m sure that the die-hard fans appreciated seeing Rice appear in more casual and intimate surroundings but, to me, Rice just seemed a bit half-hearted and slightly contrived. I hadn't turned up to hang on his every word and gauge whether he was happy or not. I had turned up with the hope of being entertained. I don’t really care if he had a stinking hangover because I was hot, sweaty and somewhat frustrated by his drawn out set and long winded stories that he couldn’t even be bothered to finish.
Showing posts with label album reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label album reviews. Show all posts
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
The Shins at London Astoria
The Shins/Polytechnic
Astoria, London on Sunday 25 February 2005
The gig started with Polytechnic as the support. It was the second time that I’d had seen them and thought they had come along in leaps and bounds with a beefed up sound similar to that of The Kaiser Chiefs. In fact their set opener ‘Man Overboard’ could have easily featured on a Kaiser’s record. The whole set was generally excellent in a poppy Springsteen kind of way. They are definitely a band to look out for.
So onto The Shins. They had absolutely everything going for them as the gig was about to kick off. The venue was packed to the rafters, the atmosphere was electric and the anticipation level was sky high for a band who once relied on their cult following but are now slowly, but surely, hitting the mainstream. Tonight was their first chance to premiere songs from their well received (and magnificently named) new album, ‘Wincing the Night Away’.
The moment that The Shins gained their biggest breakthrough was when during 2004’s movie ‘Garden State’ (which featured two of their songs ‘Caring is Creepy’ and ‘New Slang’, both of which featured in the set-list) Natalie Portman gave The Shins a very much publicised mention, claiming that The Shins “will change your life”. This one line from a genuine A-List Hollywood star helped propel the band from modest underground favourites to treasured trendy celebrities. However, based on their Astoria performance there is nothing particularly life changing about The Shins live.
The New Mexico band’s recent indie rock/pop/folk record was a huge hit in the US Billboard Chart where debuted at Number Two making the Shins something of a household name. They fared slightly less well here in the UK where the album hit the charts at Number 16 but that didn’t matter to the massively eager and expectant crowd that packed the Astoria. Opening with ‘Sleeping Lessons’ the band initially lived up to expectations. The song opened with a deliberate swirling and slowly building synth that was eventually broken by crisp electric guitars and James Mercer’s towering falsetto.
However as the gig went on things began to get slightly mundane and samey. One song drifted into the next and the crowd that was initially so boisterous became slightly subdued. They played a total of seven songs from their new album but it was the host of older tunes from their back catalogue that gained the best reception. The highlight of the night came in the form of ‘Gone For Good’ but even this seemed to lack some of the depth and bounce of the recorded version.
All in all, a very disappointing night. With three excellent albums under their belts I was massively frustrated when they didn’t live up to the expectations that I had for them as a live act. The albums are great but on this evidence you’re much better off listening to the records rather than spending your hard earned cash to see them live. As a live band The Shins were somewhat lacklustre and certainly far from life altering.
The set was:
'Sleeping Lessons'
'Australia'
'Pam Berry/Phantom Limb'
'Kissing The Lipless'
'Mine's Not A High Horse'
'Girl Inform Me'
'New Slang'
'Saint Simon'
'Girl Sailor'
'Gone For Good'
'A Comet Appears'
'Turn On Me'
'Know Your Onion!'
'Caring Is Creepy'
'Someone I Care About'
'So Says I'
Astoria, London on Sunday 25 February 2005
The gig started with Polytechnic as the support. It was the second time that I’d had seen them and thought they had come along in leaps and bounds with a beefed up sound similar to that of The Kaiser Chiefs. In fact their set opener ‘Man Overboard’ could have easily featured on a Kaiser’s record. The whole set was generally excellent in a poppy Springsteen kind of way. They are definitely a band to look out for.
So onto The Shins. They had absolutely everything going for them as the gig was about to kick off. The venue was packed to the rafters, the atmosphere was electric and the anticipation level was sky high for a band who once relied on their cult following but are now slowly, but surely, hitting the mainstream. Tonight was their first chance to premiere songs from their well received (and magnificently named) new album, ‘Wincing the Night Away’.
The moment that The Shins gained their biggest breakthrough was when during 2004’s movie ‘Garden State’ (which featured two of their songs ‘Caring is Creepy’ and ‘New Slang’, both of which featured in the set-list) Natalie Portman gave The Shins a very much publicised mention, claiming that The Shins “will change your life”. This one line from a genuine A-List Hollywood star helped propel the band from modest underground favourites to treasured trendy celebrities. However, based on their Astoria performance there is nothing particularly life changing about The Shins live.
The New Mexico band’s recent indie rock/pop/folk record was a huge hit in the US Billboard Chart where debuted at Number Two making the Shins something of a household name. They fared slightly less well here in the UK where the album hit the charts at Number 16 but that didn’t matter to the massively eager and expectant crowd that packed the Astoria. Opening with ‘Sleeping Lessons’ the band initially lived up to expectations. The song opened with a deliberate swirling and slowly building synth that was eventually broken by crisp electric guitars and James Mercer’s towering falsetto.
However as the gig went on things began to get slightly mundane and samey. One song drifted into the next and the crowd that was initially so boisterous became slightly subdued. They played a total of seven songs from their new album but it was the host of older tunes from their back catalogue that gained the best reception. The highlight of the night came in the form of ‘Gone For Good’ but even this seemed to lack some of the depth and bounce of the recorded version.
All in all, a very disappointing night. With three excellent albums under their belts I was massively frustrated when they didn’t live up to the expectations that I had for them as a live act. The albums are great but on this evidence you’re much better off listening to the records rather than spending your hard earned cash to see them live. As a live band The Shins were somewhat lacklustre and certainly far from life altering.
The set was:
'Sleeping Lessons'
'Australia'
'Pam Berry/Phantom Limb'
'Kissing The Lipless'
'Mine's Not A High Horse'
'Girl Inform Me'
'New Slang'
'Saint Simon'
'Girl Sailor'
'Gone For Good'
'A Comet Appears'
'Turn On Me'
'Know Your Onion!'
'Caring Is Creepy'
'Someone I Care About'
'So Says I'
Ben Taylor and Amy Macdonald, Islington Academy
Ben Taylor / Amy Macdonald
Islington Academy, London on Wednesday 7 February 2007
First and foremost, the crowd at the Ben Taylor gig last night were possibly the rudest and most ignorant bunch of people I've ever come across at a show. I really don't understand why you would want to go to a gig only to constantly chatter throughout. It got to a stage where I actually felt quite embarrassed of the bad-mannered crowd and also very sorry for Ben Taylor up on stage. When Taylor asked everyone to show a bit of respect, people quietened down for possibly 30 seconds before starting up once more with their ever-so important conversations.
Taylor came to the small stage on his own to play a couple of songs before his band members joined him. He had a laid back and smug aura about him, but at the same time he was very sincere and humorous. In fact before every song he had an interesting tale to tell. In many cases the story continued and evolved throughout the song. His second solo number was called 'Wicked Way' and was a brutally honest account of a man wanting to get into a girl's knickers! This was one of the high points of the night as he had the crowd giggling to such lyrics as: "I just wanna take you out and get you drunk, so I can have my wicked way with you" and "I'm not gonna come over and meet you Mom and Dad, they know that I was bad".
Two solo songs and then he was joined by his band made up of Meredith Sheldon (acoustic guitar and vocals) and Peter Saw (rhythm). Taylor and company created a very relaxed and comfortable atmosphere in the venue. At times it was a little too relaxed as I found myself slipping into a coma only to be resuscitated by the wittering crowd at the back who tended to be louder than the music itself.
Both Taylor and Sheldon have terrific voices but were slightly let down by the material. Highlights in the set were the previously mentioned 'Wicked Way', Dionne Warwick classic, 'Anyone Who Had a Heart' and Portishead's 'Give Me A reason To Love You'. There was also a snippet of Amy Winehouse's 'Rehab' and it was a touch disappointing when it finished and we went back to Ben Taylor's less memorable repertoire of songs. Many of his tunes sounded too similar to keep the attention of the audience so, in a way, it's not surprising that they were gossiping.
Finally, I'd like to give a special mention to last nights support act, Amy Macdonald. At the tender age of 19 she looked like she was sh*tting her pants!! I don't really blame her because about 4 yards in front of her were a bunch of unaccommodating London types!! However, she managed to win them all over with simple melodies and thoughtful lyrics.
Particularly fine songs included 'Youth of Today', 'Mr Rock and Roll', and a new one which ripped into a certain 'wannabe', but now not 'gonnabe', footballer's wife from Celebrity Big Brother. There was also a decent cover of 'Mr Brightside' by the Killers. Keep an eye out for Macdonald because I'm fairly sure she'll do quite well.
Islington Academy, London on Wednesday 7 February 2007
First and foremost, the crowd at the Ben Taylor gig last night were possibly the rudest and most ignorant bunch of people I've ever come across at a show. I really don't understand why you would want to go to a gig only to constantly chatter throughout. It got to a stage where I actually felt quite embarrassed of the bad-mannered crowd and also very sorry for Ben Taylor up on stage. When Taylor asked everyone to show a bit of respect, people quietened down for possibly 30 seconds before starting up once more with their ever-so important conversations.
Taylor came to the small stage on his own to play a couple of songs before his band members joined him. He had a laid back and smug aura about him, but at the same time he was very sincere and humorous. In fact before every song he had an interesting tale to tell. In many cases the story continued and evolved throughout the song. His second solo number was called 'Wicked Way' and was a brutally honest account of a man wanting to get into a girl's knickers! This was one of the high points of the night as he had the crowd giggling to such lyrics as: "I just wanna take you out and get you drunk, so I can have my wicked way with you" and "I'm not gonna come over and meet you Mom and Dad, they know that I was bad".
Two solo songs and then he was joined by his band made up of Meredith Sheldon (acoustic guitar and vocals) and Peter Saw (rhythm). Taylor and company created a very relaxed and comfortable atmosphere in the venue. At times it was a little too relaxed as I found myself slipping into a coma only to be resuscitated by the wittering crowd at the back who tended to be louder than the music itself.
Both Taylor and Sheldon have terrific voices but were slightly let down by the material. Highlights in the set were the previously mentioned 'Wicked Way', Dionne Warwick classic, 'Anyone Who Had a Heart' and Portishead's 'Give Me A reason To Love You'. There was also a snippet of Amy Winehouse's 'Rehab' and it was a touch disappointing when it finished and we went back to Ben Taylor's less memorable repertoire of songs. Many of his tunes sounded too similar to keep the attention of the audience so, in a way, it's not surprising that they were gossiping.
Finally, I'd like to give a special mention to last nights support act, Amy Macdonald. At the tender age of 19 she looked like she was sh*tting her pants!! I don't really blame her because about 4 yards in front of her were a bunch of unaccommodating London types!! However, she managed to win them all over with simple melodies and thoughtful lyrics.
Particularly fine songs included 'Youth of Today', 'Mr Rock and Roll', and a new one which ripped into a certain 'wannabe', but now not 'gonnabe', footballer's wife from Celebrity Big Brother. There was also a decent cover of 'Mr Brightside' by the Killers. Keep an eye out for Macdonald because I'm fairly sure she'll do quite well.
Willy Mason - Shepherds Bush Empire
Willy Mason / Elvis Perkins
Shepherd's Bush Empire, London on Wednesday 16 May 2007
I don't suppose that as a reviewer you should really admit that you're a fan, or not, of the band. I don't really care though because I love Willy Mason. The first time that I saw him was a few years ago supporting Ben Kweller at Islington Academy. Having not heard any of his material it was unusual for a support act to make such an impression on me. I bought his homemade ep, had it signed and I was an immediate convert.
Over last couple of years I've followed Willy around numerous nooks and crannies of London. The tiny Barfly Enterprise in Camden. A secret show in a basement somewhere in Soho. The Bedford Arms in Balham. A surprising support slot for Radiohead on two consecutive nights at Hammersmith Apollo. You get the message. I can't get enough of Willy Mason.
And all of this despite the fact that I don't believe he's put together two exceptionally strong records. On both of his albums he has produced some strong folk/country tracks but there are also some weaker, slightly more tedious patches. It is live that Willy Mason is at his best.
Having seen Willy brilliantly command a crowd in intimate venues on numerous occasions, I felt an element of sadness that Shepherd's Bush Empire was just a little too big for him to hold the attention of everybody in attendance. From the general chatter throughout most of the concert it is fair to say that people weren't as gripped as they should (or could) have been. His usual stories and tales were not received as well as they usually are and the connection with the crowd was just not quite there. His whiskey-smooth deep voice and super laid back attitude just didn't quite cut it with the London crowd. I bet he'll go down a lot better with a more raucous crowd in Glasgow!!
Saying this, there were a plenty of sublime moments. Backed by a band of 4 people ("a group of friends") including his brother called Sam on drums, Mason was able to create a fuller live sound than he has been given resource to do so in the past. New songs, and in particular his two new singles, 'Save Myself' and 'We Can Be Strong' were high points. Viola player Nina Violet gave a rootsy country feeling to many of the songs and took the lead vocal for the chorus for 'We Can Be Strong'. When Mason eventually joined in on the final chorus of the song the harmony created was exquisite - far better than the album version . Also, 'The World That I Wanted' was one of the few songs that the crowd gave Mason the respect that he deserved.
Mason's signature tune, 'Oxygen', was kept until the very end and it was a moment worth waiting for. On the whole though, Mason's (usually charming) rambling banter was quite weak and slightly embarrassed ("So, do you come here often??") and his band were possibly a little too laid back to captivate such a large audience. For all I care I hope he returns to a more intimate stage again because it's there that he's at his best.
A special mention to Elvis Perkins who was (despite his father dying of AIDS and his mother dying as a passenger on one of the planes that hit the World Trade Center) an exceptionally confident and entertaining country storyteller. His tunes were all easily accessible and a couple had an 'out of control ' big-band feel to them. Worth investigating. His bass player also looked spookily like a lanky younger version of Jack Bauer.
Shepherd's Bush Empire, London on Wednesday 16 May 2007
I don't suppose that as a reviewer you should really admit that you're a fan, or not, of the band. I don't really care though because I love Willy Mason. The first time that I saw him was a few years ago supporting Ben Kweller at Islington Academy. Having not heard any of his material it was unusual for a support act to make such an impression on me. I bought his homemade ep, had it signed and I was an immediate convert.
Over last couple of years I've followed Willy around numerous nooks and crannies of London. The tiny Barfly Enterprise in Camden. A secret show in a basement somewhere in Soho. The Bedford Arms in Balham. A surprising support slot for Radiohead on two consecutive nights at Hammersmith Apollo. You get the message. I can't get enough of Willy Mason.
And all of this despite the fact that I don't believe he's put together two exceptionally strong records. On both of his albums he has produced some strong folk/country tracks but there are also some weaker, slightly more tedious patches. It is live that Willy Mason is at his best.
Having seen Willy brilliantly command a crowd in intimate venues on numerous occasions, I felt an element of sadness that Shepherd's Bush Empire was just a little too big for him to hold the attention of everybody in attendance. From the general chatter throughout most of the concert it is fair to say that people weren't as gripped as they should (or could) have been. His usual stories and tales were not received as well as they usually are and the connection with the crowd was just not quite there. His whiskey-smooth deep voice and super laid back attitude just didn't quite cut it with the London crowd. I bet he'll go down a lot better with a more raucous crowd in Glasgow!!
Saying this, there were a plenty of sublime moments. Backed by a band of 4 people ("a group of friends") including his brother called Sam on drums, Mason was able to create a fuller live sound than he has been given resource to do so in the past. New songs, and in particular his two new singles, 'Save Myself' and 'We Can Be Strong' were high points. Viola player Nina Violet gave a rootsy country feeling to many of the songs and took the lead vocal for the chorus for 'We Can Be Strong'. When Mason eventually joined in on the final chorus of the song the harmony created was exquisite - far better than the album version . Also, 'The World That I Wanted' was one of the few songs that the crowd gave Mason the respect that he deserved.
Mason's signature tune, 'Oxygen', was kept until the very end and it was a moment worth waiting for. On the whole though, Mason's (usually charming) rambling banter was quite weak and slightly embarrassed ("So, do you come here often??") and his band were possibly a little too laid back to captivate such a large audience. For all I care I hope he returns to a more intimate stage again because it's there that he's at his best.
A special mention to Elvis Perkins who was (despite his father dying of AIDS and his mother dying as a passenger on one of the planes that hit the World Trade Center) an exceptionally confident and entertaining country storyteller. His tunes were all easily accessible and a couple had an 'out of control ' big-band feel to them. Worth investigating. His bass player also looked spookily like a lanky younger version of Jack Bauer.
Willy Mason at The Enterprise, Camden
Willy Mason
Barfly Acoustic The Enterprise on Thursday 3 February 2005
Firstly, what a great little venue. The evening's entertainment took place in a small room, above a pub in Camden, with a makeshift stage created from chipboard balanced ominously on milk crates.
Support came from the charming lead singer of The Magic Numbers, Romeo Stodart. Equipped with only his guitar he took to the stage to treat the 100 strong crowd to a sublime performance of gorgeous melodies. Harmonies came in an unorthodox fashion. The three other members of The Magic Numbers were in the audience and they couldn't resist chipping in whenever they felt like it to the amusement of the audience who, I don't think, really knew what was going on! The Magic Numbers have been tipped for greatness in 2005 and after the performance of their lead singer it's easy to see why. I don't think anybody could have asked for a better support act.
Onto Willy!
It's very hard to believe that Willy Mason is just 19 years old. Hailing from New York, he has already supported the likes of The Grateful Dead, Bright Eyes and Ben Kweller, but tonight he sets off on his first headline tour. Considering that his album, Where the Humans Eat, is not officially released until later this month it is no mean feat that this tour has already sold out. Word of mouth has rapidly spread and judging by tonight's performance, Willy Mason will go from strength to strength.
Without the backing of his brother, Sam, on drums (he's back in High School taking exams!) Mason stripped his songs down to classic country and blues acoustic simplicity. His lyrics are clever, witty and simple and when delivered with his whisky-smooth deep voice and laid back attitude it is almost impossible not to be drawn into the songs (although the fact that I was slowly getting blind drunk can only have helped my "love" for Willy!).
Tonight there are a number of stand out tracks. "Hard Hand to Hold", "So Long", and "Oxygen" are all classics. "Oxygen" even brought the first bit of crowd participation of the night as they sang along to "on and on and on it goes. the world it just keeps spinning". I would have been singing too but by this stage I was so pissed that I'd forgotten the words. I do, however, remember the grin on Willy's face as (maybe for the first time?) the crowd sang along to one of his songs.
The set finished with the confidently uplifting "Fear No Pain" followed by a roaring reception and a room full of smiles. Willy Mason is definitely a case of "watch this space". If his name is unfamiliar to you today I can only recommend that you give him a listen.
Oh, and also, he comes across as a genuinely good bloke!
Barfly Acoustic The Enterprise on Thursday 3 February 2005
Firstly, what a great little venue. The evening's entertainment took place in a small room, above a pub in Camden, with a makeshift stage created from chipboard balanced ominously on milk crates.
Support came from the charming lead singer of The Magic Numbers, Romeo Stodart. Equipped with only his guitar he took to the stage to treat the 100 strong crowd to a sublime performance of gorgeous melodies. Harmonies came in an unorthodox fashion. The three other members of The Magic Numbers were in the audience and they couldn't resist chipping in whenever they felt like it to the amusement of the audience who, I don't think, really knew what was going on! The Magic Numbers have been tipped for greatness in 2005 and after the performance of their lead singer it's easy to see why. I don't think anybody could have asked for a better support act.
Onto Willy!
It's very hard to believe that Willy Mason is just 19 years old. Hailing from New York, he has already supported the likes of The Grateful Dead, Bright Eyes and Ben Kweller, but tonight he sets off on his first headline tour. Considering that his album, Where the Humans Eat, is not officially released until later this month it is no mean feat that this tour has already sold out. Word of mouth has rapidly spread and judging by tonight's performance, Willy Mason will go from strength to strength.
Without the backing of his brother, Sam, on drums (he's back in High School taking exams!) Mason stripped his songs down to classic country and blues acoustic simplicity. His lyrics are clever, witty and simple and when delivered with his whisky-smooth deep voice and laid back attitude it is almost impossible not to be drawn into the songs (although the fact that I was slowly getting blind drunk can only have helped my "love" for Willy!).
Tonight there are a number of stand out tracks. "Hard Hand to Hold", "So Long", and "Oxygen" are all classics. "Oxygen" even brought the first bit of crowd participation of the night as they sang along to "on and on and on it goes. the world it just keeps spinning". I would have been singing too but by this stage I was so pissed that I'd forgotten the words. I do, however, remember the grin on Willy's face as (maybe for the first time?) the crowd sang along to one of his songs.
The set finished with the confidently uplifting "Fear No Pain" followed by a roaring reception and a room full of smiles. Willy Mason is definitely a case of "watch this space". If his name is unfamiliar to you today I can only recommend that you give him a listen.
Oh, and also, he comes across as a genuinely good bloke!
Kings of Leon @ London Astoria.
Kings of Leon / The Hold Steady / 120 Days
London Astoria on Monday 26 February 2007
This was probably the best line-up of all of the NME gigs that have been taking place over the past couple of weeks. Norwegian band 120 Days were, however, a bit second-rate. It was hard to keep focus on the music when each of their songs dragged on for what seemed like an eternity. In fact, during their 40 minute set they only managed to squeeze in 4 songs (before they were chucked off – about time too!).
After taking a bit of a synthesiser pummelling from 120 Days it was a relief to hear a bit of classic cheesy 80's rock from Brooklyn based The Hold Steady. What was most noticeable about The Hold Steady was just how much they were enjoying themselves. Lead singer, Craig Finn, was revelling in their recent middle aged breakthrough after the release of their 3rd album 'Boys and Girls in America'. The band, all in their mid-thirties, were proud to pedal every rock cliché that they loved from the Springsteen/Bon Jovi light’n’tight denim era. With a chain smoking guitar player and leather clad piano player they were massively unfashionable but assertively proud of that fact. They went down an absolute treat with the crowd.
They finished with ‘Southtown Girls’ and if you’ve never heard it then download it immediately (legally of course!!). As far as support acts go, The Hold Steady did a fantastic job in warming up the crowd.Of the numerous bands that appeared off the back of The Strokes revolution back in 2002, Kings of Leon have probably fared the best and it wouldn't be an understatement to say that they are rivalling The Strokes on the popularity front. Their upcoming April tour sold out within the hour and tickets for this gig were exchanging for more than £100 outside the venue. I'm lucky enough to have heard Kings of Leon's new album 'Because of the Times' and it’s fair to say that it’s a stronger effort than their New York equivalent’s 3rd album.
"Of the numerous bands that appeared off the back of The Strokes revolution back in 2002, Kings of Leon have probably fared the best and it wouldn't be an understatement to say that they are rivalling The Strokes on the popularity front"
London Astoria never fails to disappoint on the celebrity front and the VIP balcony seemed that bit busier than usual. In attendance was self confessed fan Noel Gallagher and the bass player from The Killers (possibly wishing that his band were this good?!).
Astoria had reached fever pitch before Kings of Leon came to the stage to an operatic intro tape. Opening with new track 'Black Thumbnail', lead singer Caleb Followill took centre stage in his sleeveless denim jacket and incredibly tight jeans. Judging by the crowds reaction to many of the new songs, they'd all got their hands on a copy of the new album too as they sang along with Caleb word for word.
‘Black Thumbnail’ ran seamlessly into ‘Taper Jean Girl’ which was quickly followed ‘King of the Rodeo’. There wasn’t much talking from the band except the occasional polite ‘Thanks for coming out tonight’ or ‘It’s great to be back in London’ from Caleb. The hits kept on coming and it was unremitting. Older classics such as ‘Molly Chambers’, ‘The Bucket’ and ‘California Waiting’ provoked mass sing-alongs and flurrys of crowd surfing.
Lyrics have never been a strong point for the Kings of Leon and it’s a challenge in itself to try and comprehend what Caleb is mumbling on about. However, in the new acoustic based and radio-friendly song ‘Fans’, Caleb could be heard singing something along the lines of “The London scene it ain’t so bad when you’re the King. The King they want to see-ee-ee-ee”. Possibly a thumbs-up to the perks of stardom and the fans in London when your chips are down? To be honest, who knows?
It was the new tracks that showed the Kings taking a slightly different musical direction. The encore had two absolute beauties, opening with ‘Arizona’ which is Kings of Leon’s biggest lighter waving anthem to date. Then ‘Charmer’ gave evidence of a heavier, hard rocking sound evocative of the Pixies and including a few Caleb shrieks. They finished with ‘Slow Night, So Long’ and a (somewhat rehearsed??) microphone throw that left the crowd screaming for more.
Rumour has it that there’s a song writer by the name of Angelo behind the relentless stream of classic rock tunes that the band seem to continually produce. Still, as a live band the signs are all there that Kings of Leon have matured into something grand and, with the material to hand, they are on the cusp of becoming true rock gentry.
The set was:
'Black Thumbnail'
'Taper Jean Girl'
'King Of The Rodeo'
'My Party'
'Soft'
'Molly's Chambers'
'Fans'
'Bucket'
'Milk'
'Mcfearless'
'Four Kicks'
'On Call'
'California Waiting'
'Spiral Staircase'
'Trani'
(Encore)
'Arizona'
'Charmer'
'Slow Night, So Long'
Aim of the blog...
Hi Everyone - the reason for this blog is mainly for selfish reasons so I can keep track of any music writing that I do. In the past I've written a whole host of gig reviews but I've been doing it less and less as my job has been getting busier and busier. I want to collate all of these in one place.
I also listen to LOADS of new music. I'd say one new album every day. To the extent that I sometimes can't remember what I liked or what I disliked and I end up having to scan through my whole record collection to see if I can figure out what's what. My taste in music is pretty diverse so I hope that there'll be something for everybody!!
With a bit of luck, this blog will encourage me to write a bit more and it might come in handy for a few people too!
I also listen to LOADS of new music. I'd say one new album every day. To the extent that I sometimes can't remember what I liked or what I disliked and I end up having to scan through my whole record collection to see if I can figure out what's what. My taste in music is pretty diverse so I hope that there'll be something for everybody!!
With a bit of luck, this blog will encourage me to write a bit more and it might come in handy for a few people too!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
