City and Colour at The Roundhouse. What can I say? It was fantastic. The building was packed long before Dallas Green took to the stage, with people talking excitingly about the fact the gig was to be recorded and released ready in time for when the encore ended. The gig was one of only three shows on the European tour to get the special live CD treatment and the band didn’t disappoint.
The opening track was straight from the latest album Little Hell and we were treated to a wide selection of songs from debut album Sometimes, follow up Bring Me Your Love and the latest outing. The latest single Weightless was one of many highlights from the first half of the show with it’s catchy guitar riffs and sublime vocals. Actually, what City and Colour tracks DON’T have sublime vocals…?
The main highlight of the gig for me was the acoustic solo section at the half way point of the set. I absolutely love his first two albums which were more acoustic guitar based compared to Little Hell, so to hear songs like Day Old Hate, Body In A Box, What Makes A Man and (my favourite song) The Girl performed this way was unbelievable and the atmosphere in the venue was out of this world. The applause seemed to be twice as loud during the acoustic section.
The band returned to power through new tracks like Fragile Bird and Sorrowing Man which already feel like they have been played live for years on end and not tracks which were only released four months ago. As the band departed for a second time, Dallas returned for the encore and played Comin’ Home and Sometimes, the former played acoustically, while the band returned one final time for an electric version of the final track from the album Sometimes. It was brilliant.
This was my second time seeing City and Colour after being at the HMV Forum in London last year, and I can’t wait to go again whenever he returns. Just like Iron & Wine, Dallas is picking up a big following here in the UK which will definitely result in future tours being planned. It was absolutely fantastic.
The ruby red hues of KOKO, Camden’s lighting sets the ambience for the acts that are to follow. Browsers in horn-rimmed glasses rifle through feather boas and bowler hats amongst the vintage clothing stands that have set up shop. Meanwhile, scratchy recordings of 1930’s big band inspire a lady in evening attire to quickstep across the dance floor to her seat. A love of music, crafts and culture are the theme of the evening.
The raggedy and bearded Pat Dam Smyth is the first performer to entertain the onlookers. By his own admission he is a busker who after ten years on the road has a suntan and a few good stories to tell. His deep Irish accent is immediately charming and easy on the ear. His delicately plucked guitar with almost psychedelic vocalisations are unusual and it is perhaps his personality that trumps his capabilities as a performer. This is followed by The Forget Me Nots an ensemble of fairground fortune-tellers that liberate alluring, swaying and tumbling melodies. Marcella Puppini draws most of the attention as the front-woman in a slinky satin dress with a voice somewhere between howling and classically trained bellowing.
A spotlight pierces across a gathering crowd and an announcer gives Gabby Young the pomp and circumstance welcoming she deserves. Adoration for fashion is apparent for all the acts tonight. Young meagrely glides onto the stage in a liquorice monochrome dress with red flowing locks and glittered brows. Her levels of exuberance never cease throughout. Yet she also displays a humbling attitude to be playing such a large venue on the back of a US tour. It is Young’s vocal strength that holds the band together. The sounds of the underground jazz brass section physically trumpet her back at times but when interest is drawn back to her, she is able to carry the music forwards. Acoustic song Honey is a chance to demonstrate her talents as a solo artist. She is evidently able to take contemporary influences such as Feist and marry them with established names such as Ella Fitzgerald. Single We’re All In This Together brings a warming, slowing and fragile pace. Its haunting guitar arpeggio with banjo chimes is a wonderful backing for this worthy soulful anthem.
At every opportunity the show shifts into a performing arts experience. Circus acrobats scale the heights of the stage at one juncture. However, a dance company doing the Charleston brings a new level of exuberance with a flurry of mint green kid gloves and bow ties that was the highlight of the evening. The routines seem spontaneous, tie in with the music and are always complementary. Smiles, waves and songs dedicated to loved ones are how Young chooses to close. And with pride her crowd responds and conveys their sentiments back to her.
A lot of people seem to go to iTunes Festival as an opportunity to hang out in the Roundhouse for a bit, or maybe it’s for the pretty lanyards. Either way not everyone seemed very excited about the music about to happen. But they would be!
The first thing I noticed was the age range of the audience, which at a free show always leads me to wonder how many are actually fans, and how many non-fans will stay to the end. I’m pleased to say the venue only seemed to get more full as the set went on. Their happiness and energy was highly infectious; it’s refreshing to see a band actually enjoying themselves and having the performance talent to pass that enjoyment onto a mixed audience. Of course the songs lend themselves perfectly to this experience, with ample opportunity for sing-alongs and hand claps!
Musically it was an impressive but relaxed performance, living up to their reputation as a great live band. The Wombats in 2011 are indie pop’s version of anarchy come of age; Northern wit and cheek intact, no songs much over 4 minutes, but a sense of musical accomplishment and ease. Similarly this year’s album The Wombats Proudly Present: This Modern Glitch hasn’t really marked a stylistic change, but a refinement of their style.
The ability to get people who clearly had very little prior knowledge of the band to stay to the end of the encore, and learn the words/sing along to the last chorus of Let’s Dance To Joy Division at the end of a long show, is surely the ultimate achievement for a live act. The proper fans (both sexes and aged anywhere between 15 and 55!) seemed pretty pleased too.
About 20 seconds after the music ended evacuation began… it was so hot in there! But nobody had realised. Truly great live performers that are definitely here to stay. Except when they’re jetting around the world on tour.
Last night I arrived at a heaving venue called The Lexington in Islington to see the launch party gig by the talented Kyla La Grange. It was such a popular event that there was a queue downstairs of people waiting to get in with the lady on the door enforcing a ‘one in one out’ policy. As I checked my name when I arrived she told me I was ‘priority’, to which I replied “Way to boost my ego!” She let me through, I attracted many a glare as I walked passed the queue… I just about managed to be mature enough not to stick my tongue out.
Inside the venue was rammed and bloody hot! The first thing I noticed was the stage design consisting of leaves, vines and trees. Then I noticed Kyla with her distinctive stage presence and style – she had some epic hair going on! When the band played and Kyla sang, the room was still and when each song finished the room erupted and she would politely thank them.
I was trying to figure out who her voice reminded me of, it was hard to place but I heard a little of Kate Bush coming through every now and again. Kyla is an intense performer, her eyes would intensely search the crowd and it matched perfectly with the epic climactic songs.
Part way through her set I got sandwiched between music industry people (you know the kind) who seemed like they were enjoying the set, but possibly more interested in talking with each other. That’s when fellow musician Ellie Goulding walked in and they swarmed! No it wasn’t that bad, it was actually really nice to see a musician of Ellie’s level coming to support artists who are starting out. A friend of mine informed me that Kyla opened for Ellie at SXSW this year.
It was a good gig and I can definitely see Kyla La Grange becoming more well known in the next few months, she has something different and subtly unpredictable about her.
I went to see Hanson (shoot me back to being 11 again!) play at King’s College in London at a pretty intimate venue packed with, I would say, 97% screaming girls… and 3% screaming guys. The show was part of a 5 of 5 tour they were doing where the band played a whole album each night ending with their latest album Shout It Out. Although I was sad to miss Mmmbop live, I really enjoyed the set and performance, they really are a talented bunch of brothers!
Shout It Out is a blend of motown, soul, funk and a little rock and features their signature three part harmonies and poptastic hooky choruses. It looked like the majority of the audience had already memorised all the songs and even some dance moves from their videos – it was quite something to witness!
In the ‘VIP Cocktail’ area (check me out) I stuck to tap water (boring) but did a fair bit of people watching, turns out I was amongst Hanson’s wives and kids who had come along to support the mini tour. They watched, enjoying the performance with the kids looking on in awe – and yes all three Hanson boys are dads, way to make us feel old guys. I was also told that before the show the band did a Q&A with the fans, some of which had camped outside in the rain, before each gig to talk about the making of the albums and how things evolved. I think that is an interesting idea, seeing as the band were doing 5 shows in a row in the same venue it makes sense to make use of the space and give the fans something extra.
If you liked them back in the pop days then I would say give them and their latest album a listen. They are more mature soulful pop now and it is really good. They get 5 out of 5 from me… get it? Ha!… no?
