Before only they were unleashed on only the second gig of the tour, the sold out crowd were enthralled by touring support from New Zealand’s The Phoenix Foundation. With over a decade honing their music-craft, they affected an atmospheric sound. Indie pop in style, brimming with Americana, they started the evening off in spectacular style.
Almost immediately after, the heaving to capacity crowd had the opportunity to watch the band warm-up stageside to the Beastie Boys; stretching like a footballers limbering-up before a match as anticipating a pleasure as their liveliness onstage – highlighting their eagerness to kick start the show.
‘T.O.R.N.A.D.O.’, the first track from the new album, was an arresting opening in some style. Unfortunately with the groups’ latest work being only a week old, the crowd were somewhat subdued with this newer style.
It took little time for them to get going, when ‘The Power is On’ from the 2004 Mercury Music Award nominated album ‘Thunder, Lightning, Strike’ struck its opening bar. By now the audience were as warmed-up as the band and the symbiotic connection from the stage to the dance floor was finally turning up the heat, reaching a high point that did not fall back on. With ‘Brighton Rock’ out at the cinema, it’s all too easy to say that this band from ‘Brighton, Rocks’ but they really do.
A hectic stage presence – with lead singer Ninja (Nkechi Ka Egenamba) high-kicking her way through the gig and having fun with the audience between songs – you need a keen eye to notice who is contributing what to each song. Both guitarist Kaori Tsuchida and Fukami ‘Chi’ Taylor taking centre stage, between the three of them singing some of the best 2 minute ‘pop songs’ around.
All of this was overseen by head honcho Ian Parton, seeing music originally recorded in his mum’s kitchen finally blossoming into fully realised “schizo music” he promised for their latest release, with a solidly efficient Go! Team machine to back it up live.