sleeping with the NME
Romeo Stodart delivers a real crowd-pleaser of a gig during the NME Tour
Sometimes, a gig comes along that forces us out of ‘The Bubble’ and take notice of the outside world. The NME tour is one such event, and well worth a £5 return trip to the Brixton Academy, which housed four bands on Thursday evening, each on a different rung on the music ladder. The first two up were Morning Runner and Shout Out Louds, who performed their set with confidence and aplomb, but with no particular originality. The Concretes, however, did have something else.
This Swedish band, on the road promoting their second album, have written rather ethereal, moving music which uses two brass players and a mandolinist to great effect. Lead singer Victoria Bergsman sings her English lyrics with a very strong Swedish accent, which just adds to the novelty of the band; combined with their lulling melodies and completely white costumes. Definitely check out their stuff: it’s Royksopp, Air, Belle and Sebastian and The Velvet Underground all in one.
Onto the main act, The Magic Numbers. The audience erupted when Romeo Stodart strode confidently onto stage, beaming with glee under that beard, pumping his fists into the air. They have honed their live shows through years on the road, culminating in what was tonight a truly remarkable performance.
Most impressive was the rejection of the posturing of Franz Ferdinand or outlandishness of Kaiser Chiefs; they were simply having a great time on stage and their energy translates to their music and the crowd. As usual, The Mule kicked off proceedings, Romeo smouldering in his grey suit whilst Michelle bounced around stage like an excited girl. For a man who epitomises a bear in both looks and character, Romeo has a tender, loving voice that flows like honey.
For encores, the band first performed Crazy In Love, Angela taking the sax part, with Michelle and Angela whispering sexily to complement Romeo’s dulcet tones. Then came traditional curtain-closer The Beard. It seemed as if I was the only person who knew the lyrics to this nonalbum track, a country-inspired number. Nevertheless, after a slow start, the crowd was roused into an uproar when Romeo and Michelle began to showboat their talents.
The audience were all wearing smiles as wide as Romeo’s, for they had entertained, moved and cheered. A gem of a performance, and a treasure of a band. The following day began with a relatively disappointing set from the Mystery Jets. They’re a good band, but Brixton Academy is still too big for them. With those thoughts passing, along with the rest of the crowd I was endlessly excited by the arrival of New York City’s We Are Scientists.
They assault the stage to thunderous applause with the swagger of a band truly deserving of such a slot. Frontman Keith Murray is a true indie dreamboat with light, foppish hair and clean-cut, boyish good looks. Naturally, he goes down a storm. The band instantly leap across at you like the unapologetic melding of the hyperactive Hot Hot Heat and the solemn Editors, but manage to take it up a notch with more precise, sexy tunes.
The set was illuminated by Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt, a dark pop odyssey with an incessantly darting guitar riff that makes those dancing feet flutter. To mix things up Murray decided to invite Alex Turner to help him out for Cash Cow. As the set drew to an end all were left still wanting more, even with the Arctic Monkeys and Maximo Park to come. It would be easy to assume that the night belonged to the Monkeys, they being one of the hottest bands of the year.
But Maximo Park were not to be upstaged. Their performance was arguably the most memorable and justified their position at the top of the bill. The Monkeys, however, will roll on with the cockiness of an orchestra of Gallaghers, and we will love them just like we once loved their Mancunian counterparts. Overall, this was an awesome gig and one well worth travelling out of Oxford for. If only such an array of talent would come to us all at once.
23rd Feb 2006