We're gonna head for, new horizons....
Another gig last night.... and one that I nearly decided not to go to. After getting gripped by a thrilling first half in the Man U v Benfica game, mi amigo Steve & I were considering selling our tickets & staying in the pub. Thankfully it was a short-lived notion, as it turned out to what was probably my favourite gig this year. Yes, Maximo Park fucken rocked it.
After negotiating the Hammersmith Palais metal detectors (!) with Steve telling me that last time he was there someone had got shot on the dancefloor (!!) I was quite stunned to find it's a beautiful venue. Probably the best i've been to in London in fact. Nice decor, good sound, a dancefloor that's wide rather than deep meaning you're never far from the stage, and just about the perfect size. I'm a bit puzzled as to why it's so rarely used for gigs.
The other surprise when I arrived was to find that Clor were on stage. I really ought to check out who the support acts are before going to gigs. Fortunately I saw them a fortnight ago, so it wasn't a disaster that I missed half their set. They were great though - although you wouldn't have sensed this from the crowd's (lack of) reaction. I was on the balcony at the time, and there was no movement at all in front of the stage. Is it a particularly London thing where people can't enjoy or react to a band they don't know? Or that NME hasn't pronounced as 'good'? Clor certainly deserved a better reception than they got.
It seemed though, that the audience had been saving themselves for Maximo Park. The venue erupted when they came on stage. And remained spewing fiery magma for the entire set. The band were awesome.
I'd seen them play on the Camden Crawl back in February, when i'd had high hopes and was sorely disappointed. I felt then it was due to the complete apathy shown by the audience (much as with Clor last night) rather than the energies of the band on stage, but with a completely different vibe last night the band responded to the adulation of the crowd with a blistering show.
This was the tracklisting according to their message board:
Annoyingly, for once I left my camera at home. Which is a shame as the lighting was perfect and I would have got some cracking shots. Singer Paul Smith is a gift to the camera, especially when compared to the rest of the band, who despite their best efforts to get a bit rock 'n' roll still have something of the schoolteacher about them. That's a good thing though. I'm a bit tired of 'rockstars'. And besides, with Paul's on-stage antics you're not gonig to be looking at anyone else. He's clearly a star, and i've rarely seen so many gifts thrown on stage at an indie gig.
Much as Steve complained that they weren't nearly as good as when he'd seen them at Lowlands this year, i'm sure in February i'll be telling people at Brixton Academy that 'you should have seen them in Hammersmith last December'.
Although not as good as anything on the album, here's one of the b-sides they played last night... from the first release of 'Apply Some Pressure'.
MAXIMO PARK - I WANT YOU TO LEAVE
Sorry the recording's not great.... I think my stylii (?) are on their last legs. I'm wondering whether it's worth upgrading to these from my Stanton 500AL's?
After negotiating the Hammersmith Palais metal detectors (!) with Steve telling me that last time he was there someone had got shot on the dancefloor (!!) I was quite stunned to find it's a beautiful venue. Probably the best i've been to in London in fact. Nice decor, good sound, a dancefloor that's wide rather than deep meaning you're never far from the stage, and just about the perfect size. I'm a bit puzzled as to why it's so rarely used for gigs.
The other surprise when I arrived was to find that Clor were on stage. I really ought to check out who the support acts are before going to gigs. Fortunately I saw them a fortnight ago, so it wasn't a disaster that I missed half their set. They were great though - although you wouldn't have sensed this from the crowd's (lack of) reaction. I was on the balcony at the time, and there was no movement at all in front of the stage. Is it a particularly London thing where people can't enjoy or react to a band they don't know? Or that NME hasn't pronounced as 'good'? Clor certainly deserved a better reception than they got.
It seemed though, that the audience had been saving themselves for Maximo Park. The venue erupted when they came on stage. And remained spewing fiery magma for the entire set. The band were awesome.
I'd seen them play on the Camden Crawl back in February, when i'd had high hopes and was sorely disappointed. I felt then it was due to the complete apathy shown by the audience (much as with Clor last night) rather than the energies of the band on stage, but with a completely different vibe last night the band responded to the adulation of the crowd with a blistering show.
This was the tracklisting according to their message board:
The keen eyed will have noticed that they played every track from the album (including a rare performance of 'Acrobat').. and that thankfully they didn't finish with 'Apply Some Pressure'. I've never understood why that was released twice as a single, as I think it's far from the best track on the album. The best track is, of course, Limassol. And that was for me the stand out last night as well. That and 'Going Missing'. And 'Once, A Glimpse'. And 'Acrobat'.
Signal And Sign
Fear of Falling
The Coast Is Always Changing
A19
Graffiti
A Year of Doubt
Postcard of a Painting
I Want You To Stay
Limassol
Kiss You Better
Waste Land
I Want You To Leave
Now I'm All Over the Shop
My Life In Reverse
Once, A Glimpse
Apply Some Pressure
The Night I Lost My Head
--------------------
Acrobat
Nosebleed
Going Missing
Annoyingly, for once I left my camera at home. Which is a shame as the lighting was perfect and I would have got some cracking shots. Singer Paul Smith is a gift to the camera, especially when compared to the rest of the band, who despite their best efforts to get a bit rock 'n' roll still have something of the schoolteacher about them. That's a good thing though. I'm a bit tired of 'rockstars'. And besides, with Paul's on-stage antics you're not gonig to be looking at anyone else. He's clearly a star, and i've rarely seen so many gifts thrown on stage at an indie gig.
Much as Steve complained that they weren't nearly as good as when he'd seen them at Lowlands this year, i'm sure in February i'll be telling people at Brixton Academy that 'you should have seen them in Hammersmith last December'.
Although not as good as anything on the album, here's one of the b-sides they played last night... from the first release of 'Apply Some Pressure'.
MAXIMO PARK - I WANT YOU TO LEAVE
Sorry the recording's not great.... I think my stylii (?) are on their last legs. I'm wondering whether it's worth upgrading to these from my Stanton 500AL's?
posted by headphonesex @ 10:40 AM
