I
missed the opening act tonight as I was stuck
at the box office trying to get in so my apologies
to Charli XCX, you sounded OK from outside.
Ting Tings are a band that from my perspective
released a couple of songs a few years ago then
just disappeared. I'm sure plying the smaller
room at the academy is a step down for them......any
way they’re a catchy two piece pop band,
just drums and guitar, it's all basic stuff, a
few cords and a solid drum beat is all they need
and a backing track, I'm sure she's not lip syncing
but when the vocals are still going when she's
stepping away from the mic I assume she just sings
over a backing track.
 The songs as I suspected, from the few I actually
know are all pretty catchy but the catchy songs
didn't really kick in till after the opening two
songs which were Give it back and hang it up,
they got fairly decent after that with the likes
of Great DJ, Fruit machine, Guggenheim. What I
didn't know was that the drummer also plays the
guitar, and he's pretty good. The crowd however
don't look all that excited tonight if I'm honest
only coming to life sporadically, but there is
some singing from the female element of the crowd.
I'm not a fan of bands playing to backing track,
they could have got a touring guitarist to do
the drummers parts as they towards the end of
hit me down sonny, just a bizarre way of doing
things!! They could have used them for the rest
of the set, they found some musicians for 2 minutes
of the set at the local uni, could have done with
some touring musicians at least!! The crowd came
to life somewhat for shut up and let me go and
got the biggest cheer so far of the night! They
close the set with hands which is a dance song
basically purely electronic with the drummer on
the synths, it ain't bad, they could have closed
off with shut up and let me go, which would have
been better.
 After a short break, they played the song I'm
sure they've all being dying to hear, it’s
not my name, this gets the most reaction from
the crowd and thanks from the band after they
finish. This has been an odd night with a few
little niggles, like there being two tech guys
milling about on stage, just fiddling and being
pretty much visible all night, the lack of common
sense in not hiring a few tour musicians to fill
in the gaps, it just seems like there hogging
the spot light, tour musicians are not a new concept,
I think the whole night would have been better
with a few hired hands. The whole backing track
thing seems lazy too, if you can’t do it
on stage live then you just shouldn't do it, other
than that, not a bad night.
3/5
Review By Robert Lawrence
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