Los Campesinos! - Electric Ballroom, London - 22nd March 2012 (Live Review)
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Written by Matthew Williamson
Los Campesinos! have slowly been building a name for themselves, and tonight sees them headline the infamous Electric Ballroom. The octet’s newest album, 'Hello Sadness', is widely regarded as a band maturing, and although that may have alienated some of the band’s fans from earlier albums there’s still no shortage of people wanting to see the group.
Openers, Tall Ships, don’t take long to launch into their own experimental style. The three piece show tremendous promise with an energy that’s occasionally lacking from supports. A frequent use of loop pedals and synths create layer after layer of sound, generally in advance of a moment of respite that allows the trio’s surprisingly calm vocals to enter over the top.
As good as Tall Ships may be this evening is all about Los Campesinos!. Opening with the first track from their new album; the remarkably upbeat ’By Your Hand’. There’s an instant reaction, and as the chorus comes in the room is filled with voices mimicking Gareth’s melody. Quickly followed up by ‘Romance Is Boring’, title track from the band’s 3rd LP, which perfectly highlights the more aggressive songwriting they’re capable of.
The fans seem to know every word, but there are parts where the noise peaks. One such instance is during ‘We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed’ as the crowd scream “We kid ourselves there’s future in the fucking, but there is no fucking future.” They all seem to have been through heartbreak similar to wordsmith of the frontman, or maybe it’s just the passion that LC! seem to put into the set that gets the crowd to respond in turn.
‘To Tundra’ is a soft but building monster. It takes its time to unfurl its wings, but when it does it really hits home. Similarly ‘You! Me! Dancing!’, begins with slowly escalating sound. There’s a twist in the build-up, however, as they launch into Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ riff, met with the audience’s appreciation, before falling back into the drone. As the song’s instantly recognisable melody comes in there’s not a single pair of feet left on the ground. 'Y! M! D!' is by far the band’s best known song, with almost 3.5m views on YouTube, and featuring on the Budweiser advert, and it’s clear that there are a few who come alive during.
“You can never kiss a Tory boy without wanting to cut off your tongue again” screech the crowd to ‘The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future’. At the end of the track Gareth tells the assembled that, “No matter how drunk you are, just check first, ‘cause those cunts don’t deserve you.” If there are any Conservatives in the room they’re keeping very quiet.
The set closes with ‘Baby, I’ve Got The Death Rattle’; again a new one, again with intelligent lyrics, and again with a sing-a-long that fills the room. Afterwards the lights come on in the foyer, only to be quickly switched off again as hails from the masses bring the band back on for another two songs.
The crowd’s final chance to dance is taken with glee, as bodies bounce and gyrate to the bands final acts of the night. Closing with ‘Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks’ the room’s filled with noise for one final time. As the evening comes to a close the cries of “One blink for yes, two blinks for no. Sweet dreams sweet cheeks, we leave alone” are met with fingers being viciously thrown into the air. Finally the only sound left is that of the crowd’s collective vocals, and Gareth’s speech, before even that dies away.
With a bow the band depart the stage to the sound of 1,100 pair of hands clapping before the rush to catch final trains home begins. Judging by the reaction on social media sites over the next few days there aren’t many, if any, fans that weren’t swept away with the performance and it’s clear to see why.
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‘To Tundra’ is a soft but building monster. It takes its time to unfurl its wings, but when it does it really hits home. Similarly ‘You! Me! Dancing!’, begins with slowly escalating sound. There’s a twist in the build-up, however, as they launch into Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ riff, met with the audience’s appreciation, before falling back into the drone. As the song’s instantly recognisable melody comes in there’s not a single pair of feet left on the ground. 'Y! M! D!' is by far the band’s best known song, with almost 3.5m views on YouTube, and featuring on the Budweiser advert, and it’s clear that there are a few who come alive during.
