Gig review: Interpol @ Newcastle, Dec 07

Interpol @ Newcastle Academy, Tuesday 4 December 2007

"I feel much better tonight!" announces Interpol's Carlos D as fans cheer loudly.

When Interpol cancelled their Newcastle gig back in August literally minutes before they were due on stage, they annoyed many fans who had queued for hours to see the NYC band. Luckily, they promised to reschedule for December, where spare tickets from those who demanded a refund sold out almost immediately.

Tonight, support is from Friendly Fires, a sharp post-punk combo from St Albans. Brandishing unusual instruments and creating a sparse sound, they border on experimental in places, reminding me of the early electro efforts of the now sadly defunct Cooper Temple Clause. I felt they were a strange choice of band to support the rather morose Interpol, but entertaining nonetheless.

Now was the long-awaited main act. Beginning with the landscape-sounds of Pioneer to the Falls then firing straight into Say Hello to the Angels, Interpol obviously mean business this time.

Despite constant comparisons to Joy Division, they have constantly toyed with their sounds on each album, never failing to deliver each time. Where fans of many bands often become disillusioned when new albums show a shift in musical morals, Interpol don't seem to have this problem as the crowd sing back the words to each song, regardless of which album it was from. While they may not give off the impression they are the most charismatic band ever, I found the performance very enthralling.

Some may dismiss such music as depressing, but I see it more as moody and epic. With all members dressed in black as though a uniform, singer Paul Bank's voice draws you in until you feel his sorrow. C’mere, No I in Threesome and the wonderful finale PDA are particularly beautiful, whereas anthems such as Slow Hands and Evil draw an excited dancing mood within many sections of the audience. Specialist, a rare song for dedicated fans, is also met with much enthusiasm.

Interpol showed everyone why they're big players in the league now, and the audience could almost say they have been on the journey with them tonight."

Published: http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/content/articles/2007/12/19/interpol_review_feature.shtml(19/12/07)

Gig review: Stereophonics @ Newcastle, Nov 07

Stereophonics @ Newcastle Arena, Thursday 22 November 2007

"There are not many bands reviled in the music press as much as the Stereophonics. They may not invite the most flattering album reviews in the world but they do know how to put on a good show.

It's going to be the fourth time I've seen them at Newcastle Metro Radio Arena and I have held my hopes high as each gig I have been to has had a great atmosphere.

I await the support band, Coventry lads The Enemy. I admit I am not the biggest fan, despite their recent successful assaults on the charts. I am wondering if this performance will change my perceptions. It didn't really, mostly because each song was filled with screaming from the fan girls behind me so I failed to hear much at all. You've got to give it to them for dedication though.

As soon as Stereophonics came on stage, they hadn't even got to the first chorus of opener Bank Holiday Monday and The Enemy fan girls had to be pulled out from the moshpit of enthusiastic 'Phonics dedicatees.

Pull The Pin isn't their best album and is often greeted with a more muted response, but this is maybe because of the large array of classic hits singer Kelly Jones and the boys have decided to wheel out which make recent efforts sound lacklustre in comparison. Hits from debut album Word Gets Around invite the biggest response, with the crowd chanting back the words to A Thousand Trees, Local Boy and Tramps Vest as if their lives depend on it.

A mash-up of acoustic songs is performed solo by Jones, which is also met with a beautiful sing-along. For the encore, It Means Nothing and number one single Dakota lead to a near stage invasion, with crowd surfers nearly kicking me in the face. Yet I can't deny that this was one of the best few hours of fun I've had this year.

Critics can accuse Stereophonics of being middle-of-the-road rock for your father, but tonight they have the youthful audience eating out the palms of their hands with a passionate performance."

Published: http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/content/articles/2007/12/19/stereophonics_review_feature.shtml (19/12/07)