Klaxons with support from THUMPERS

Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London (4th November)

On a scale of 1-10 of excitement, I would say I was about an 11 for this week’s Klaxons gig. Although I was lucky enough to see them at Berlin Festival 2013, I had missed out on getting tickets for their comeback gig at 600-capacity venue, Oslo in London earlier this year. Seeing them in Berlin had brought back so many great memories of almost 8 years earlier when they released their first album, Myths of the Near Future (which I have on special edition vinyl 🙂 ), and I had desperately wanted to see them again in a smaller venue.

Back then, in 2007, I saw them at Newcastle Academy and remember not necessarily having the best experience as we got caught up in a teenage mosh pit and I got elbowed in the ribs on more than one occasion. A mosh pit! Why are people moshing to Klaxons?! I’m glad I won’t need to worry about that this time I thought…oh how wrong I was!

But first, before we get onto Klaxons and crazy moshers, let me tell you about THUMPERS. I remember there was a lot of hype around them in 2013 and I’ve been to gigs previously where they have been supporting but I have always managed to miss them. Not this time though, I finally got to see them, and I liked what I saw!

It was great to see a support who were able to command the stage and really give a performance worthy of a headline slot. They stormed on; lights flashing, guitar and drumsticks at the ready, and guitarist/ singer Marcus Pepperell dressed in an interesting choice of red and white striped shirt(?!). My foot was tapping almost immediately and I was dancing away before they’d finished their first track. A mix of indie, pop and rock, all of their tracks were both catchy and well paced.

It was a shame the crowd weren’t more receptive as most of those gathered in front of the stage stood motionless and disengaged. You could argue that this contradicts my previous description and, while I can’t claim they delivered a flawless set, I really do feel they deserved a more enthusiastic response. I for one will be looking out for them again in the future and have already bought their debut album, Galore – check it out!

Once THUMPERS had retired backstage and with a topped up pint of Somersby in my hand, it was time. The opening bars of New Reality rang out through the speakers and we muscled our way back into the crowd just in time to see the Klaxons boys burst onto the stage. Needing no introduction, they launched straight into the first verse, immediately whipping the crowd into a frenzy. By the time they had moved onto Atlantis To Interzone, it was clear I had been right to be as excited as I had been – this was going to be a great gig!

And then it started. An opening in the crowd formed to the left of us and then bodies started flying back and forward into each other – the moshing was back!! Luckily, this time, positioned in our standard spot (1/3 in from the right of the stage and 1/3 back), we were slightly removed from the heart of it, and I was happy for it to continue with me safely on the outskirts.

Perhaps it is because Klaxons are one of the few New Rave acts I am into, or perhaps it is an anomaly, but I just don’t associate moshing with Klaxons. It shall remain a mystery to me!

Anyway, moshing aside, Klaxons seamlessly made their way through a jam packed set list, spanning all three of their albums. It’s nice when a band acknowledges that people are interested in more than just their current material. Their first album will always hold a special place in my heart and it was great to hear so much of it live on the night. This is not to detract from their current album however, Love Frequency, which has seen the boys transition to a more mainstream pop sound. Flitting between the three albums, there was still ample opportunity for the boys to showcase their heavy-hitting guitar riffs and shouting lyrics.

Kitted out in a more muted choice of attire than usual (all in white vs multi-coloured jackets or shiny, metallic suits), the stage dressing and lighting made for a visually appealing set overall.

As for the venue, Shepherd’s Bush Empire is one of my least favourite Academy Music Group venues. I should love it – with its 2,000 capacity, it is the perfect size to host smaller, more intimate gigs – but I don’t love it, somehow the atmosphere just never grabs me. Saying that, it certainly worked very well for this gig and it was one of the best I’ve been to there. (Although is this down to the venue or the artist/ act?)

This was the final night of the boys’ UK tour and they definitely closed on a high! They now move onto their European tour where they will be supported by the fabulous Fenech Soler.

Klaxons set list:

• New Reality
• Atlantis To Interzone
• Flashover
• There Is No Other Time
• Gravity’s Rainbow
• Twin Flames
• Show Me A Miracle
• Golden Skans
• Invisible Forces
• Two Receivers
• Magick
• Atom To Atom
• Echoes
  Encore –
• The Bouncer
• Four Horsemen Of 2012
• Children Of The Sun
• It’s Not Over Yet

Visit our Flickr page to see photo highlights from the night, and our YouTube channel where you can watch extracts from the show.
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You can also check out our Past Events page to see our music archives.

 

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