Although it has relatively been a while since my last blog entry, this is not a sign that I have been complacent. Three exciting gigs in the space of one week have been squeezed between my 'normal' working hours in retail which has left me little time for recovery. I'm by no means complaining however because when else do I get to see three great bands in the space of one week? Oh....and they all begin with 'M' !
Magistrates - Friday 28th February at The Lexington (North London)
Since their comeback, Magistrates have learnt to be experts at teasing their fans with the promise of new material. Playing to a full crowd at The Lexington meant that fans were brought another step closer to this promise with new tracks such as 'When We Are Apart' along with 'Faces' being granted a new format. The light-hearted party anthems created a vibrant atmosphere which should keep fans' appetites full until the eventual album release.
Metronomy - Thursday 6th March At Kingston's New Slang
I had last seen Metronomy perform live at Hippodrome, the previous venue for Kingston's 'New Slang' nights, back in 2011. All the way back then they were heading to Glastonbury the very next day and the size of the Hippodrome was suited to such a band. Since then, New Slang nights have been moved to the smaller venue of McCluskey's and so I was holding my breath in anticipation at seeing Metronomy in such close quarters. In fact if I had wanted to, I could have quite easily have given Joe Mount a pat on the head as he was sat at the piano. Metronomy have always been quite a coordinated bunch, paying close attention to the aesthetics of their sets, which was the same case for Thursday's performance. Pure, white minimalism was applied all over, right down to their matching trousers. The intimacy of the venue only intensified the experience of Metronomy however.
Metronomy both teased and pleased us by showing us the progressing sound of their new album 'Love Letters' (opening with 'Monstrous' and closing with 'Immaculate Haircut') but still pumping up the crowd with old classics such as 'The Look' and 'Radio Ladio'. 'I'm Aquarius' was placed in the centre of the set, the stripped sound with catchy backing vocals showing us how far the musicians are willing to evolve and progress. Although they maintained their original electronic groove, there is a sign of experimentation in working on maturing their sound. I have 'Love Letters' sitting beside me in its film wrap and I am looking forward to playing it on full volume once this entry is posted!
Mutineers - Saturday 8th March at Liverpool's Zanzibar
Following on from their sold out show in their hometown of Manchester, the next stop for Mutineers on the 'Love, It's A Killer' tour was Zanzibar in the heart of Liverpool. Despite the many acts on the bill that night, they stood out for all the right reasons. The low-ceilinged bar created a fitting atmosphere for the rock-fuelled set. My highlight of which was hearing 'Love, It's A Killer' (available to purchase on the 17th March) with it's contagious riff sending a ripple of excitement through the crowd. In addition to favourites such as Shadow Kisses and You Used To Be Ok, two brand new tracks surfaced which has only left me impatient for the album release. With the combination of a charismatic frontman, unapologetic guitars and powerful stage presence, you can't help but realise that Mutineers are big fish swimming in a cramped goldfish bowl. Although Mutineers have legion of loyal fans, they still remain an underrated band as they could have quite easily blown a hole in the roof with their unrestrained energy and passion with which they play.
