Franz Ferdinand at Brixton Academy

At least tonight I wasn't rushing from the office. Saturday night so I could get to Brixton early and get a place down the front. Well only just. I wasn't the only one with that idea. The queue to enter was literally around the block. Franz Ferdinand had had a bit of a hiatus, not to mention a new line-up, as well as a new album, so I guess no one was sure how enthusiastic the public would be for their return. Very seemed to be the answer. They sold out Brixton and I am sure would easily have done so somewhere bigger like Ally Pally.

First support was a band I think called 14 Years of Crying. They attempted to look a bit goth. The vocalist sound like a reincarnation of Hazel O'Connor. And that is not something the world needed. Hard on the ears.

Second support came from Albert Hammond Jr. Now he was seriously good. Meant nothing to me, so got the lowdown from Andy, whereupon I realised we had had this conversation before. (I am getting old.) Anyway, turns out he is the guitarist from the Strokes, which explains both the quality of the music and the assuredness of the performance.

 

This is Albert himself by the way

But onto Franz Ferdinand. Unfortunately, by the time Andy found me at the front, the crowd was pretty much at full extent and people were unhappy at him blocking their view (with which I can sympathise since I can't see over his shoulders let alone his head. So the upshot is I had to shuffle back a couple of places along the front, letting a couple in front of me who I had to try to ignore snogging vigorously through the performance. Get a room guys. And there ought to be a rule about having that much hair between them. Like a copulating fur ball.

Anyway, back to the subject matter. Andy described this as a ridiculously good gig, and I think that is a fair description. Just utterly superb from the start of "Always Ascending", the opening track from the new album. This was just one great song after another, interweaving new stuff with their substantial back catalogue. The band looked and sounded great. In contrast to Alvvays there was always something to watch, not just the highly animated Alex Kapranos, now sporting a spruced peroxide haircut (a sure sign of receding hairline), but the rest of his band too. Special mention to Julian Corrie who has joined as keyboard/guitar/supporting vocals and was very good. Just a terrific show start to finish, the finish being a storming "This Fire". I reckoned they took about 5 tracks off their first album, so plenty of old favourites for the fans, including the seminal "Take Me Out" but also including a very rocky version of Michael.

One of the things that mark out FF as a band is not just the sheer volume of brilliant songs, but that those songs are just bursting with ideas. They won't just have one hook, but two or more. Anyway, all in all a terrific night.

Alex Kapranos

Julian Corrie

Alvvays at the Roundhouse

Alvvays (apparently pronounced Always, which might provoke the question, why not spell it that way too) are a Canadian band from Toronto. For once not one of my finds, but my mate Andy persuaded me to come along. (As fair swap, I got tickets for Franz Ferdinand the night after.)

Friday night and we escaped too late to get a decent meal, so we went to Nandos. My first ever Nandos. It was everything I expected, and less. I think its fair to say I won't be a regular. But we got in with enough time to spare before the main act, although just after the support.

Anyway, how to describe Alvvays? Well of all the bands I listen to they remind me most of Belle & Sebastian. As Andy rightly said (he is very sound on musical matters) they don't really have any banging tunes, but just consistently good. Basically jaunty, jangly pop, hence my comparison to B & S. But with the striking difference of very fine female vocals over the top from singer songwriter Molly Rankin.

The catch though for me, and there is often a catch, is that the live performance doesn't offer anything much over listening to their cds at home. They don't ooze personality, there is nothing much to watch on stage, the light backdrop was rather dull - abstract and often looking like bacteria under a microscope - and the sound is not really any rockier than on record. So my observation would be fine, but nothing too inspired.

Interesting to see the crowd too. A lot of young women around 25-35, and a lot of hipsters. I have never really thought about what music hipsters listen to (hipsters haven't reached as far as my end of suburbia) but it seems it might be this.

(Ch, and photos courtesy of Andy too, I forgot my camera. And being 6 foot 5 Andy can take photos over the top of the crowd on his smartphone better than me. Cheers mate)

Sherlocks at the Electric Ballroom

This was my first music gig since returning from Costa Rica, and therefore my first of 2018. It was a triumph out of adversity, for reasons I shall explain.

First thing to say was what a young crowd there was here - probably largely teenagers. I texted a friend of mine to say I was feeling ancient. Kindly she assured me I was ancient. "But when did that happen?" I asked. "Ironically," she replied, "while you were writing pension deeds." Fair point, well made.

 Anyway, I duly made my way down the front to watch the support band, Oddity Road, like the main protagonists a band from the Sheffield area. A nice enough sounding bunch of lads - lead singer had a strong voice. But nothing to distinguish them.

So, onto the Sherlocks. One might say not a lot to distinguish them either, but they happen to play a brand of indie that perfectly matches my tastes. Three guitars, quite anthemic stuff.

Their unique feature is they are a pair of brothers. Kiaran and Brandon Crook, on vocals and drums and Andy and Josh Davidson on guitars.

 Kiaran is a very decent front man. Doesn't exude personality as much as one might want, but very strong voice. They only have one album of material to call upon - Live for the Moment, but its a very fine work, literally packed with singles.

Now, I did say the set was a triumph over diversity. That was because the sound kept cutting out. Three times in fact. Now in any decent business the venue would be seeking to give refunds to the audience. After all if there is one thing you expect at a music gig it is to hear something. But the mikes kept going. Very irritating.

 However, top marks to the band for keeping going. I think most would just storm off until the technical people had it sorted. But they did their best to keep us entertained. They neatly adapted to playing "Don't look back in Anger" just on guitars, since the guitars were still emitting noise.
At third attempt, Kiaran announced, "This is Nobody Knows. Let's see how long this works for".

Fortunately all the way through, since it is my favourite track. It is interesting going to see a new band like this that no-one I know likes (or has come across) and about whom I know nothing either, as I have no idea what I am supposed to like. Normally there are hit singles and you know what is supposed to be popular. Well I had no idea, but it seems its not "Nobody Knows", but  "Chasing Shadows" that is the fan favourite. There you go.

I do hope this outfit get further coverage. They deserve to be (moderately) big.