The Departure - London King's Cross Water Rats - 22/7/04
4/5
By: Andy Willson
Ladies, gentlemen, otters, we bring a mixed bag of news to you from this eve. On the plus (or is that minus?) side, it looks like '80s music is well and truly back en vogue - but if that brings with it the return of legwarmers, excruciating hair and the kids from 'Fame', then I for one will be battening down the hatches and locking myself away in a nuclear bunker until it's all blown over.
The Departure are a slick five-piece outfit from Northampton who have been
together as a band for all of seven months. Each member has tried and failed with other bands before everything finally fell into place. Influences are all from that 'fantastic' era - from Joy Division through to Echo & The Bunnymen via Gary Numan, and it really does work.
Collectively, they sound like a definitive supergroup of those two decades back, with singer David Jones echoing David Sylvian or the other D Jones, and bassist Ben Winton plucking strings like Mark King on speed. It won't be to everyone's taste, but those we see here sure seem to be listening intently.
And, favourably, it's quite a mixed set of onlookers tonight, made up primarily of industry bods and oldies clinging onto their youth by reliving the chimes from that most ridiculed of eras. David is the last to take the stage, wearing a checked shirt buttoned right to the top, and it's a miracle that it stays this way because it's roasting in King's Cross tonight. First track is 'Be My Enemy'. And immediately, each band-member is in perfect unison with one another, and whether it's contentment at this or something else, guitarist Sam Harvey's feet start to do strange things. As seen in the video for imminent single 'All Mapped Out', they seem to have a warped, dizzying mind of their own.
On the face of it, these lads do have something special, but after the third or fourth track, each song does sound quite naggingly similar to the previous one. Nothing against that of course, and bear in mind this has been achieved in just over half a year, but with a touch more messin', it could broadcast to even so many more. At last, and rewardingly, introducing the single 'All Mapped Out', Jones utters assuredly that we've heard the song before on radio or TV, but not yet live (apparently, 'it's much better' that way). And to his credit, he's spot on. The bassline pulls the track along like a supercharged rhino, and drummer Andy Hobson molests his drumkit in ways we've yet to be exposed to. It's an unquestioned riot.
Lest us forget, Parlophone are very choosy in the artists they pick; but, judging from tonight's performance, some A&R person can adorn a slightly bigger feather in their cap. As a rousing 45-minute set comes to a close, these sons of Northampton have done their dreary environs proud. And thank God for that, because looking at famous people from this town, other than Jo Wiley, Bauhaus or Des O'Connor (who visited there once), there really wasn't too much much to shout about. Until now.
Artists in this article: The Departure
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