THE NATIONAL (London Alexandra Palace, 14/11/13) 

The National have transitioned from a minor cult concern to arena-filler with astonishing grace, and yes, overall it was a great, at times superb, performance, but I can’t be having with a setlist that cuts “Apartment Story” for a dozen mid-tempo post-“Boxer” tracks.

(Photo: Carkamok)

STARFUCKER (London Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, 13/11/13)



Starfucker may have changed their name at least three times since I first saw them, but their high-energy synth-pop remains as giddily enjoyable as ever. True, the band seemed a little jet lagged and the vocals too low in the mix, but there’s no resisting the imperious technicolour disco of “Medicine” and “Boy Toy”.

(Photo: Vivian Yang)

ARCADE FIRE (London Roundhouse, 11/11/13 & 12/11/13)



These last two nights, Arcade Fire reminded me once again why they were the band that made me fall in love with live music in the first place. The Suburbs tour was a bit of disappointment in retrospect, heavy with plodding, MOR album fillers that sapped the energy from their infamously electrifying performances, but these intimate Roundhouse shows see them reinvigorated with the matchless vitality of the Funeral/Neon Bible era. It’s amazing how a set consisting primarily of new material sparks such an intense reaction from the (unusually dapper) audience, but songs like “Here Comes The Night Time,” “Normal Person” and the title track itself are every bit as instant as “Power Out” et al. Add in the mariachi band playing 80’s pop-hits, the face-painting, the Venetian masks, the choreography lessons and an airing of one of my all time favourite songs (“Crown of Love”), and you’ve got my favourite gigs of twenty thousand and thirteen.

JA JA JA FESTIVAL (London Roundhouse, 08/11/13-09/11/13)



Review: HERE

(Photo: Jason Williamson/The Line Of Best Fit)

BOBBY WOMACK (London Royal Albert Hall, 29/10/13)

 

London is not a city made for late night gigs. Its infrastructure essentially shuts down after midnight, and unless you’re lucky enough to live within Zone 1, getting home after the music is as fun as your average Nickleback show. Which explains why this 11pm Bobby Womack performance was so undersold, they felt the need to give out free tickets on the night. That didn’t stop the old R&B legend putting on one hell of a show, trotting out hit after hit with his astoundingly tight backing band. Not quite as brilliant as his Latitude performance earlier this year (possibly due to tiredness all round), but still worth suffering the night-bus home for.

EFTERKLANG (London Heaven, 29/10/13)

Despite its name, Heaven is not the ideal setting for acts that employ any sort of delicacy or subtlety in their music, which made it an odd fit for one of Denmark’s most beautiful bands. Indeed, compared to the Lexington show earlier this year, this show seemed a little distant and by-the-books, impacted by the venue’s overly bassy sound. Nonetheless, I’ll never get enough of Casper and Katinka’s syncopated harmonies on the likes of “Modern Drift”, which would sound utterly stunning in any circumstance.

 (Photo: Kevan Davis)

ARCTIC MONKEYS (London Earls Court, 26/10/13) 



Review: HERE

(Photo: Steve Asenjo / The Line Of Best Fit)