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A cold but clear night in Hammersmith awaited the sounds of one of the best British bands of 2005. A band who's debut album A Certain Trigger had reaped acclaim after acclaim from NME as one of the albums of the year! And they were dead right. Having purchased the CD after hearing Apply Some Pressure on the radio I was completely taken aback by this band. And the album only went to back up my now fierce some support for 'Park!
Having subsequently found out of a gig in London which I could attend (due to frigging work commitments I'm limited to the gigs that I can go to) I immediately booked up and waited patiently for the coming of the Geordie giants! The wait was well and truly worth it! The gig was in no-uncertain terms MENTAL!!!!!! (from start to finish).
The two supports band reeled in my curiosity from the moment I found out who was going to support Maximo Park. Field Music and CLOR nonetheless were the acts in question! Having acquired CLOR debut album I knew of this band and the kind of music that they produce, so it was going to be interesting to see the band live!
Field Music had an un-restricted set, the lead guitarist and drummer had a couple of neat tricks up their sleeves. Every few songs the guitarist would abandon his instrument for the use of the bass guitar. Multitalented like it! Then in the next song the two would change places and instruments, drummer becoming guitarists and guitarist becoming drummer. This worked really well as both could play each others instruments to perfection! It was cool! Have no idea of track names but they all were sound!
CLOR set was the one assembly of tracks that I was most keen to hear live. The music from their debut album has a very electro feel to it, yet tonite's hearing was definitely shoved into the high powered status of rock! Hearing the songs on the album is one thing but to see and hear the band live is something else. Opening track Good Stuff was first out. The intro was loud enough to have woken up the entire population of Notting Hill! The track had the most distinctive rock edge, which when you compare it to the album version, added a lot more kick to the proceedings. Other numbers such as outlines, Garden of love and Love + Pain were played. CLOR are definitely one of my favorite bands and will seek them out again!
Maximo Park, the band that I was here to see, finally trundled onto the stage and the place went mental! Paul Smith the well turned out lead singer, with the most outrageous comb-over head style was in blisering form! In a recent interview with NME Smith had stated that all of Park's gig were "Energetic" and being part of the whole kit and caboodle (show) was like being punched in the face! A mighty endorsement, which I wanted to find out for myself! The band opened up with Sign and Signal and from then on it was a non-stop rock and roll riot! The band played a few b-side numbers (A19 being on of them) as well as a few track from their forthcoming second album, most noticeable Life In Reverse! The whole explosive show was as Smith had correctly stated, like being punch in the face! It was mad! Song after song was reeled off debut album A Certain Trigger. On The Night I Lost My Head, Limassol, The Coast Is Always Changing, Now I'm all over the shop almost others were received by a thoroughly charged and pumped up crowd and by the time Apply Some Pressure was aired, the noise level was sufficient to bring down the ceiling of the Palais!!! It was a night to remember by a band who have generated a tornado style amount of interest from the music industry and the loyal fan alike! It was an amazing performance by one of the best bands in Britain! The final song of the evening was Going Missing which brought this juggernaut of a show to a brilliant climax!