Tonight is a sell out at the
academy and a gig I thought would be filled with people of a similar age group to
me, but is in fact full of young 16 something’s, I suppose that's who the music’s
aimed for, but tonight’s band really seem more for the older market, but that's
just my age speaking. The rooms already heaving by the time the first band
comes on stage, with even more people still queuing down the road.
That Fucking Tank are on first
and this 2 piece from Leeds are weird. For one there is only 2 of them, but
instead of doing a Whit Stripes they leave out the vocals and have just the
guitarist and drummer, but to be fair, bits of their music sound very White Stripesesc
with big bassy guitar noise and heavy hitting drums. They play plodding rhythmic
music, which doesn't seem to end, it’s like a film soundtrack but on stage, if
you close your eyes and imagine a hero being chased by a massive robot through
the streets of, New York whilst the city is caving down around them, then this
is the music you need to accompany it! It changes pace and builds up to a
climatic finish every 6 minutes or so, with little false ending’s so people
woop and then they continue playing. I don't think this is ever going to make
them huge, but it fills some time and its entertaining. It reminds me of a B-side
on The Music’s debut single, called The Walls Get Smaller, which was a great 4
min track but that's all it was 4 mins, and by the end of their long set I
wished that this was the same. It really is great as a filler, but too long to
be a killer!
Cage The Elephant are up next
and this Kentucky 4 piece are here to make you sweat! They burst onto the stage
into Spiderhead from their latest album Melophobia, which is more indie than
their previous outings, but it still rocks. They sound crisp and clear across
this massive room, with thumbing bass, screeching guitars, heavy drums and
singer Matthew Shultz’s unique and peculiar vocals which bellows across the
room, both soft and ear piercingly loud! To look at Shultz you’d think he was a
quiet timid person, and when he’s off stage you’d be correct but as the band
start with their 2nd track, the amazing anthem In One Ear he goes’
crazy, jumping around the stage, working the crowd and then he climbs down into
the photo pit and onto the barrier in the fans faces, he’s screaming along
whilst in the adoring masses before climbing up over the barrier before crowd
surfing with mic still in hand, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a punk
gig the amount of raw energy that’s on show. As Shultz is going crazy in the crowd,
the rest of the band are busy thrashing
about the stage, with the two guitarists shredding like it’s the only thing
their hands know to do, it sounds amazing and looks incredible, it’s a shame
that on either side of the stage is a keyboardist who just nods his head and a
bassist who doesn’t look to interested, but this is the beauty of Cage The
Elephant the calm against the crazy, the juxtaposition of what should be a calm
steady indie band is in fact a demented rock and roll band who are brining
something different to a scene of mellowness. They continue their set with Aberdeen which is
very Pixies sounding, with the strange guitars and slow build ups to an
emotional outpouring of vocal energy.
Unfortunately that’s where my
night ended, due to the main act The Foals wanting photographers to shoot the
last 3 songs, after the first 3 of Cage The Elephant, we were escorted out to
hand in our photographic equipment, now I wasn’t going to leave me equipment unaccounted
for, so I was told it was either that, stay in the corridor where I couldn’t
hear or see the bands or leave and come back without my equipment, so I chose
to leave and not come back as I wasn’t allowed to stay in the room with my
camera in case I shot the Foals before they wanted people to, so I didn’t stay
and review them. I was disappointed that I couldn’t stay inside for at least
the rest of Cage The Elephants set as they were killing it, and I wanted to see
how the set progressed, I do know the set list as it is as follows; Take It Or
Leave It, Cigarette Daydreams, Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked, Its Just Forever,
Teeth, Come A Little Closer, Shake Me Down and Sabertooth Tiger. So as you can
see it was a great setlist covering all 3 albums. For me the night ended early,
but I’m sure the rest of the crowd loved everything else Cage The Elephant had
to give, so for me it’s a 4.5/5 for the first 3 songs, with the hope that one
day I can see the a full set and give them the same score if not better.
That Fucking Tank 2/5
Cage The Elephant 4.5/5 (for
the first 3 songs)
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