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 White 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)
Review By James Daly
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