Arcade Fire at Alexandra Palace - 18th December 2007

Last night I enjoyed the pleasure of watching the Arcade Fire in the second of a three night sold-out residency at London’s Alexandra Palace. The band tore through a selection of the past two albums ‘Neon Bible’ and ‘Funeral’, as well as delivering a salute to the British crowd by throwing in a couple of covers of The Smiths and New Order.

The performance highlighted the Arcade Fire’s artistic side, showing yet again that the visual aspect is regarded just as highly as the sound they deliver, by Win Butler and co. The set was soaked with neon lighting, giving the impression of a haunted Las Vegas cathedral with about fifteen big screens catching the antics of all eleven of the energetic, exquisite Montreal outfit.
One of the most noticeable aspects of the night’s concert is the sheer volume of material the band have at their disposal. The rumours of the band being perfectionists with military perseverance, locking themselves away for months at a time to write and that they don’t let themselves stop until they’re completely satisfied, are obvious when you see every song they have can stand up for itself, each track wonderfully written, almost always providing a delicate, shout-a-long chorus and uplifting joyous music.



The twenty two legged army, as usual, spent the concert racing around each other switching instruments and taking turns with vocal responsibilities, the number of instruments seemed extraordinary, presumably the band raided an obscure instrument megastore during the week. Glockenspiels, a hurdy gurdy, organs, keyboards, xylophones, harps, string and horn sections as well as plenty of drums all helped fill the space of the spacious stage.

‘Intervention’ makes use of the huge twelve foot synthesised organ at the back of the stage, with three of the band hammering steel drums, providing a powerful stomping like rhythm, it sounds like an eccentric marching band made up of artists, dreamers and folkies. ‘Rebellion (Lies)’ still holds the honour of being the band’s most bop along anthem, with the audience making the most movement it did all night, whilst the chorus of the contagious ballard ‘Wake Up’ will still be echoing through the Alexandra Palace halls this morning with full audience participation, the ‘aah ahhh ahhh ahhhh’ is still firmly rooted in my head even as I write now.

I left feeling triumphantly jovial with a reaffirmed faith in music and art, a slightly sore throat and a feeling of minuet jealousy for the band’s roadies and crew who have the privilege of watching them perform their inspirational masterpieces every night. Absolutely worth the long trip in the pouring rain.

Further Listening:
www.arcadefire.com
‘Neon Bible’ is out now on Rough Trade Records. (2007)

The Shins at the Hammersmith Apollo - 7th November 2007

The Shins must really love London, either that or they love the rain, because this feels like their fifteenth headline show here this year. The gig was another chance to showcase their wonderfully sweet but intelligent, pop-rock, third record ‘Wincing The Night Away’, or so we thought. We were actually generously treated to a night of everything Shins, perhaps it was because they’ve already grown tired of playing the new songs or possibly it was because the Shins do love London and they wanted to show us that.

The only real crowd participation came during the latest single ‘Phantom Limb’, but the earlier Shins songs, such as their 2001 single ‘Know Your Onion!’ and the exhilarant, synth, snare and guitar fused ‘Caring Is Creepy’ sounded just as fresh, uplifting and powerful. Other Shins classics like the bouncy, child like euphony ‘Saint Simon’, the melancholic, sixties sounding ‘So Says I’ and the entirely acoustically played lullaby ‘Pink bullets’ were also magnificent.



Some moments bordered on psychedelic, especially during new track ‘Turn On Me’ helped with the epileptic fit inducing lighting and whirring, hypnotic electric guitar sound. A special mention must too be given to ‘New Slang’, which still stands the hair on the back of my neck on end no matter how many times I hear it. It’s an absolutely beautiful song about dealing with growing old in a small town, and indie music has never come closer to translating a story.

For some terribly strange reason the crowd never really got into it though, and the energy was low at best. Perhaps the majority of the audience only owned the latest record and only wanted to hear those songs? Actually no, that’s ridiculous, the Shins were perfect.

The only possible explanation is that everyone in attendance had either been dumped by their spouse, lost a winning lottery ticket or had just finished a session in electro shock therapy that afternoon. Only then i could just, and let me reiterate, just, about understand the lack of applause and general acknowledgment to the brilliance they were witnessing on stage before them. Hopefully it won’t discourage the Shins from returning an sixteenth time this year.

My Chemical Romance at the Milan Palasharp, Italy - November 3rd 2007

God bless Ryanair. Okay, admittedly the service is shoddy, the leg room is limited at best and the food is overpriced and objectionable, nevertheless, you have to admit, their prices: fantastic. So, some friends and I decided to escape the chill that’s creeping into London at the moment and gallivant off to Milan for some sunshine and tomfoolery. We decided on the Saturday night we’d go and see My Chemical Romance, who were playing just a stones throw from our hotel.

We arrived at the Palasharp just as the doors were opening, to a sea of black, and although we couldn’t understand the conversations we were overhearing as we filtered through the thrilled, young audience, the excitement was unmistakable. This is a band who is clearly held as dear in every country they visit. In their fans’ eyes, this band can do no wrong. There’s no surprise their UK fans have rather wittily named themselves ‘the MCRMY’. The closest thing you could compare this level of idolism and worship in a fanbase, is to an army. An angry, adolescent, parent and society hating, solitary, sulky army.

Leaving their gothic, militia attire in the dressing room and with the pyrotechnics and explosions cut from the budget, My Chemical Romance were taking a nostalgic step back to a few years ago, before you saw their name scratched on to park benches and scrawled across fake t-shirt stands in Camden, and were just a rock band trying to pick up a following.
So on a tour where they’ve been playing in enormous arenas to thousands of fans, it’s an interesting testament to the band, to see that they can rely on performance alone.



The set was mainly made up of last year’s multi platinum ‘The Black Parade’ and as expected the songs that received the best receptions were the singles from the last two records. ‘I’m Not Okay’, ‘Helena’, ‘Teenagers’ and ‘Welcome To The Black Parade’ all got the Milan youths fired up, infact just as fired up as the AC Milan and Inter Milan derby games we see on television back in the UK (you know, the ones where flares start raining down from all directions, fires are started in the crowd and other displays of general insanity.)

Frontman Gerard Way showed off his usual charisma by high fiving fans, climbing down to the front barriers to meet his faithful and by being sure to never stay in the same spot for more than a second. There’s also the sure thing way of pleasing foreign fans by learning a couple of key phrases in Italian. ‘Bonjourno, viva Milano!’ though so incredibly simple even I understand it without my phrase book, it goes down a treat, to mass applause.

The Misfits inspired horror, punk, onslaught ‘Dead!’ leaves the crowd begging for more just before the encore, but a change of pace greets the crowd instead for the tragic, haunting, most excruciatingly honest song from the new album, ‘Cancer’. But the mood doesn’t last for long and ‘Helena’ finishes the night with a bang.

The language barrier has been completely annihilated, some how the crowd participation has been just as noticeable as it is with the English speaking crowds and My Chemical Romance, even without the usual aspects of their live show and a drum tech playing, due to an ill Bob Bryar, have proved yet again they’re so much more than a band for depressed children. Newspapers in Britain such as the Daily Mail and the Mirror have claimed that the band promote self-harm and depression in youths, but judging by the beaming smiles and joy from these kids tonight we realise that this perception couldn’t be further from the truth.

Further Listening:
www.mychemicalromance.com
'The Black Parade' out now on Warner Brothers (2006)

Media Analysis Thoughts

The future of music magazines could well be in jeopardy with the surge of online music news websites and fanzines. It’s just like the fall in newspaper sales, which is believed to be in correlation with the up-rise of up to the minute news websites, and the convenience of checking websites at home or at the office, without having to pay or leave your armchair. By the time a music magazine has come to press, the usual mix of reviews, news and listings can all be found days earlier online. It’s just knowing where to look. This has encouraged many music magazines to start their own websites, so that as well as delivering up to the minute news they can also advertise and promote their publications with the promise of interviews and online sneak peeks. Even blogs like my one here are contributing to the uncertain future of magazines, i hope so anyway, because that means I’m doing my work efficiently enough. I suppose music magazines will have to up the ante, and keep enticing us with free CDs and glossy posters.

LCD Soundsystem @ Brixton Academy - 23rd October 2007

James Murphy and company make their first visit to London since their electro-punk, rock & roll, funk infused second album ‘Sound of Silver’. Although tagged as an electro act, LCD Soundsystem’s electronic sound is just the tip of the iceberg, it’s not your standard DJ plays remixed records or uses just decks, like most of the current thriving electro scene. (e.g. Ed Banger Records)

Murphy is a renowned perfectionist, and it always comes across just as clear cut on stage as it does on record. He appears to almost conduct the music, delicately raising and lowering sound levels, encouraging his fellow band mates to improvise, and at the gig last night you could tell he was gauging the audience’s participation, energy and enthusiasm and differing the length of certain songs accordingly.



Major highlights still come from the band’s self-titled debut record and the most sweat is perspired during early single releases ‘Daft Punk Is Playing At My House’, a sludgy, slap bass driven, cowbell homage to their electronic heroes and ‘Tribulations’, the band’s first huge hit, a powerfully driven, warped synth and electronic fast paced tin sounding drums. First single from the latest, ‘North American Scum’ also receives one of the most frantic dancing moments of the night, fast, dirty electro, lyrically giving middle America a cheeky slap on the wrist.

Murphy’s band mates, although not involved in the recording process, are equally as talented on their instruments as he is on the decks, and the spectacle of the wall of decks, speakers and keyboards is quite superb, it does the best possible job of making the vast, spacious Brixton Academy into more of a club setting.

It’s not all techno and electro though, and some of the best moments come during the band’s few slower, rock songs. Yes, they do have them, if you’re intrigued just listen to the closing track from the latest record and also final encore of the night, ‘New York I Love You’. It follows the footsteps of Frank Sinatra’s ‘New York, New York’ and Billy Nicholls’ ‘Girl From New York’ as a gentle, romantic, genuinely heartfelt ballard, full of praise for the city he inhabits and it also gives the audience a chance to rest their sore, dance fueled feet.

Everyone seemed to leave the show delighted, despite their aching limbs and wet hair, and we can only assume that the letters LCD don’t stand for Liquid Crystal Display, but actually Loud Contagious Dance.

The Maccabees at the Camden Roundhouse - 16th October 2007

The Maccabees are a popular, young, art-rock, indie band from Brighton, comprised of members Orlando, Felix, Rupert, Robert-Dylan and Hugo. Maybe I should have only typed the band’s names in my opening sentence, it would have said the same thing.

Although they’ve been going for less than two years, they’ve already built up a huge following by relentless touring of the UK underground circuit and by releasing a superb debut record. The show was their last of the year before heading back into the studio to work on their second, and was also the biggest to date, playing the newly refurbished, 3000 capacity Camden Roundhouse.



Like the band themselves, the crowd was mainly made up of twenty something, checkered shirt wearing indie fanatics, who didn’t stop moving through the majority of the set. The band played nearly every song they have, which although lacked imagination, made a more exciting, warm show where every word was sang. Particular favourites were the gentle, shakily sang with complete honesty and emotion, ‘First Love’ and distortion heavy, ‘Lego’ another song taking inspiration from youth, with the lyrics ‘Mum said no to Disneyland/Dad made us go to church’. Other highlights were ‘Precious Time’ and ‘About Your Dress’, more songs about being young and in love and adolescent problems, all of which though not strong in originality, the young crowd can relate to perfectly.

The beautifully delicate, mandolin and ukulele ballad ‘Toothpaste Kisses’ started the encore on a romantic note, followed by the finisher ‘X-Ray’ a fast, catchy, upbeat rock song with powerful guitars and an addictive sing-a-long chorus.

Although the set was predictable and short, the band proved they are more than enough to play a show of this size. With their overwhelming enthusiasm, youthful innocence and genuine talent, I can only presume that this time next year, with more songs under their vintage belts, they will be playing concerts on this scale far more regularly.

Further Listening:
www.myspace.com/themaccabees
'Colour It In' is out now on Fiction Records (2007)

Bloc Party @ Camden Barfly - 14th October 2007

‘Tonight we’re here to party, use your space well’ bellows Bloc Party frontman, Kele Okereke as the band rush the petite, paltry stage at the Camden Barfly, the band’s ‘smallest headline show in two years.’ Of course it’s wrenched in irony, space being the exact thing the thrilled, adoring audience have absolutely none of.

The crowd were made up of lucky ticket winners, extravagant eBayers and industry types, all collected to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the cult MTV2 news programme and generally, bearer of all things alternative, the Zane Lowe presented Gonzo. To make the distance between you and the sweaty, dehydrated, fringe swept teen in front of you even smaller, there was also a large number of cameramen filming the show to be aired on TV in a few weeks time.

So, a brief recap: Bloc Party in London, ‘smallest show in two years’ and it’s being filmed for television. We sure were in for a treat and I was undoubtedly privileged for the opportunity. I definitely owe my friend with the spare ticket at least one or two pints next time I see him.



Opening with ‘Song For Clay’ the first track off latest ‘Weekend In The City’, the simplistic, hard hitting, gloomy chords got the crowd bobbing along immediately, with the pulsating rhythms and signature Bloc Party cynicism on display in the lyrics, with lines such as ‘When we kiss I feel nothing’ and ‘We can dream that the ‘80s never happened.’

‘Banquet’ from 2005’s ‘Silent Alarm’ sent everyone into a frenzy, with the first of many sing-a-longs to come, and ‘So Here We Are’ was also played in close succession. The band really took the crowd’s opinion into mind, and as well as playing a request at one point, a rare B-side ‘Lost Thoughts’ asked for by a typically pretentious fan, they also played all of the fan favourites and classics, and turned the show into more of a greatest hits set. We got one taste of the much anticipated new record ‘Flux’ but it didn’t last long as the band experienced keyboard problems and had to end it, to the crowds dismay. Perhaps they were just teasing us.

During the encore anthem ‘Helicopter’, Okereke completely knocked down the stage and crowd barrier and crowd surfed the entire length of the venue, all the way to the bar at the back, where he preceded to pour himself an absolutely deserved pint of lager. He finishes the set with a happy birthday chant to MTV2 still standing gloriously a top the band in a sea of thrilled fans.

It’s not hard to believe that they’re a huge band both sides of the Atlantic, although the days of playing shabby bars in the armpit of Camden are behind them, they prove tonight they can still deliver on a small scale when given the opportunity. I will certainly be on the sofa when it's on next week, I can’t wait to watch it all again.