Why the hell aren’t this band better known? With proggy psychedelic jams in vogue at the moment with Sleepy Sun riding high on the waves of blog-hype, you’d expect the punters to be flocking to the Portland-based band’s first ever London show but alas, it was not to be. But half-empty venue aside, Portugal The Man were a seriously impressive live proposition- they do nothing new, but they do it with such energy and technical skill that questions of originality are moot. The unashamedly histrionic vocals, soul-influenced melodies and a sense they’re genuinely enjoying themselves differentiates them from their more serious and self-indulgent peers (*cough*Black Mountain*cough*) and despite a tendency to fall into the trap of over-extending a jam beyond its natural limits there’s few bands I’ve seen this year than match them for sheer consistency. Highly recommended.
(Photo: Kevin Klocker (Flickr))
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