rockfeedback Anniversary Shows: The Aftermath + Photos
By: Toby L
The Bravery proved to be the unannounced New Yorkers that provided rockfeedback the jewel in its proverbial, fourth anniversary crown over the past weekend (Friday 29th October), when we took over Camden's Barfly, in association with Queens Of Noize.
The NYC quintet launched into a fierce, impeccably-sounding set gone midnight with the New Order-aping and forthcoming single 'Honest Mistake', glam-spiked and restlessly tuneful, camp and righteously crowd-pleasing: at once. Also bombing past a frivolous 'Fearless' and sultry 'No Brakes', the band's first ever British appearance was a legendary one.
Additionally on the bill that night were massively tipped headliners The Subways, who performed a pummelling 1:40am set to a room-full of nutcase-moshers and obsesso-fans, opening with a sensational double-hit of 'Rock 'N' Roll Queen' and 'I Want To Hear What You Have Got To Say', before soon-after climaxing in debut 45, '1am'.
Before, Transgressive Records label-mates Ladyfuzz started the live-proceedings with a flawless, dance-inducing half-hour of art-tinged sex-pop, including the gracious, commanding and upcoming 45-debut, 'Oh Marie'.
DJ-ing downstairs, amidst more of the hordes - rockfeedback's very own esteemed coterie of contributors: the salacious, stunning and spicy Pickles and Samantha Hall (blending Trail Of Dead with Bloc Party to alarming aplomb); the hatted-wonders, Kevin Molloy and Tom Hannan, with a set so scandalously enticing that when Elton John dropped, the room suitably erupted; and Beamon 65 & The Hellion, who merged their trademark obscure bootlegs to weird degrees this time - Dusty Springfield's 'Son Of A Preacher Man' has never sounded so bizarre. Especially at 3 in the morning. Earlier, top-40 solo pin-up Ed Harcourt too paraded his record-collection, and despite prior concerns of his set potentially going 'down like a lead balloon', the heaving dancefloor suggested otherwise. Full review by our very own Tim Dellow online here.
And just the night before (Thurs Oct 28th), meanwhile, a typically celebratory Basement Club @ Highbury's Buffalo Bar reached new heights of incendiary bliss, featuring The Subways once more - in addition to special guest headliners Hope Of The States, performing their most intimate date in the UK capital in over two years.
Their fifty-plus minutes were breathtaking ones: stunning type2error visuals; startling new material such as 'Bonfires' silencing the crowd; a sing-along, hands-clappin' euphoria greeted to a triple-whammy of singles, 'Nehemiah', 'The Red, The White, The Black, The Blue' and 'Enemies/Friends' - all delivered back-to-back; and frontman Sam Herlihy dedicating 'Black Dollar Bills' to rockfeedback, who he reckoned, 'Could slag us off, but still get it.' God bless you, boys.
The full set ran: 'The Black Amnesias', 'George Washington', 'Black Stars, Red Stars', '66 Sleepers To Summer', 'Black Dollar Bills', 'Bonfires', 'Nehemiah', 'The Red The White The Black The Blue', 'Enemies/Friends', and 'Static In The Cities'. And, yes, also included was an edited, impromptu cover of Craig McLachlan's 'Mona'.
Prior to the band's set, legendary Rough Trade founder Geoff Travis spun some discs, typically affirming in his art-fully classic/nouveau-centric tastes. Full review online here.
Both anniversary shows were dedicated to the memory of the late John Peel, who passed away the same week of both dates. Thanks to all those that attended. Apologies to the several hundred that had problems getting in both nights; turn up early next time, pesky kids.
Photo-Credit: Patricia L Brown