 
Only my second visit to Southampton University,
tonight was going to be a funny one. The recent
release of Wall of Arms, the Maccabees second
album, was an initial disappointment however I'd
found myself slowly warming to it. Tonight's show
was really going to be the decider, I felt.
After missing the opening support The Shark, we
arrived just in time to catch Mumford & Sons,
a group who had been bigged up by a friend earlier
in the tour, and thus, had be intrigued. The tip-off
was correct, and as Felix of the Maccabees said
in the interview a few hours before, they're a
really special band. The four piece consisted
of keys, double bass and two guitars, with all
members singing, individually or together. The
only rhythmic drumming came from some kind of
stomp-box, but I couldn't for the life of me work
out who was playing it. Regardless, they just
don't need drums, as I'm sure it would draw away
from the awesomeness of their four-part vocal
harmonies. The atmosphere in the room was incredible,
as everyone was captivated in a jaw-dropped trance.
The music was quite folk/country orientated with
a slight indie twist, and between the harmonies,
one or two voices took lead. It really was mesmorising,
and certainly bring their studio tracks to life
when performing on stage. For the final song,
a drum kit was cobbled together for the lead vocalist
to play, finishing an altogether astounding set.
Although it only lasted about six songs, I've
no doubt Mumford & Son's unique style had
won the hearts of everyone in the room, and deservedly,
too.
It wasn't long before the Maccabees came to the
stage, all looking significantly different to
the Maccabees we knew two years ago, and of course
the new drummer, Sam Doyle, whose more muscular
approach to drumming was evident from the outset,
opening with “No Kind Words,” a personal
favourite from Wall of Arms, and the first single
taken from the album. You know you're onto a winner,
when a band can recreate a studio song live, let
alone when they can push it that little bit further.
Older classics “X-Ray” and “Tissue
Soldiers” followed, before “Can You
Give It,” a newer track with a joyously
bouncy lead riff. As the song ended, Orlando seemed
surprised that so many people knew the songs,
despite a recent release. This tour must have
been a great relief for them, pushing out a new
album with a different sound, that has been well-received.
And despite my initial criticisms, it's actually
very good. There was a healthy mix of old and
new tracks, with “Lego,” “First
Love,” “Precious Time,” and
“Toothpaste Kisses,” which sounded
like it was being re-worked; as Orlando tried
different vocal timings and unfortunately failed.
Sad to see the omission of “Latchmere”
or “About Your Dress,” but hey, you
can't win them all. “William Powers”
was another included from the Wall of Arms- and
Felix led a song entitled “Accordion Song,”
whatever that was. A laid back number with some
cockney vocals and Orlando on the accordion. Although
the Maccabees are sounding better than ever live,
there still seem to be a couple of timing issues,
which could be down to a whole range of things
which I'm not going to go into, but that really
is the only niggle with a set and indeed concert
that was extremely enjoyable. The set closed with
an encore consisting of “Mary” and
finally “Love You Better,” the most
recent, and second single from Wall of Arms.
All in all, a reassuring gig from the Maccabees,
they've still got it. There's no question about
it. Catch them at a festival this Summer, or on
their September/October tour which includes a
visit to Brixton Academy.
The Maccabees 4/5
Mumford And Sons 4.5/5
Review By Thom |
