The Walkmen - Trinity Centre, Bristol - January 21st 2011 (Live Review)
Monday, 24 January 2011
Written by Dave Ball
As anyone who attends gigs in Bristol knows, the sign you’re at the hottest ticket in the city is whether ‘Big Jeff’ is stood at the stage ready to rock out. It was immediately a good sign then to spot Jeff and his blond curls waiting patiently, stage centre on entering Bristol’s Trinity.
First up, and drawing an impressively large crowd for a support act were hotly tipped Nashville quartet Mona. One of Stereoboard’s top tips for 2011, the hype has clearly got people interested as the room was near capacity in time for their entrance. Looking like 50’s throwbacks they carry themselves like a band already playing to stadiums with lead singer Nick Brown possessing a swagger more in line with the likes of the Followill’s.
The inevitable comparisons to their fellow Tennesseans are reasonably accurate, the same influences are clear but they’re more than a sound-alike. Singles ‘Listen to your love’ and ‘Trouble on the way’ have a rawer sound live, while next to be released single ‘Teenager’ (available from 28th Feb) shows they can rock out too. Lead singer Nick Brown can scream with the best of them but also has a tuneful quality to his voice that gives the ability to switch heavy verses into melodic, catchy choruses. Everything is in place for these boys to go to bigger things very quickly.
The headline act weren’t far behind and the Trinity was as full as I can ever remember it with every spare inch taken up as the lights go down. Drifting onto the stage the cheer that greets them sends warning that the vast majority of the room have been anticipating this moment for a while and The Walkmen don’t disappoint.
This was the first time I’d seen The Walkmen perform live and despite being told beforehand that frontman Hamilton Leithauser had a great live voice I was still blown away by him. Leaning into the microphone in an almost Sinatra-esque crooning position, Leithauser’s voice has an incredible range and pierces through the combination of thudding drums and deep guitar riffs, perfectly complementing the organ which cuts through and adds light to an otherwise dark sound.
Although their songs can often sound a little repetitive, the setlist is drawn up in a way that dodges any potential for the fans to drift out and, while relying heavily on latest release ‘Lisbon’, covers all six studio albums so far. Highlights include ‘Angela Surf City’ which gets the crowd bouncing just two tracks in and the beautifully haunting ‘While I shovel The Snow’ which further shows off the intensity of Leithauser’s vocals. Earlier material such as ‘In The New Year’, ‘138th Street’ and ‘I Lost You’ please the longer serving fans with another of the newer tracks, ‘Juveniles’ closing the main set. A quick pause and then the encore.
Starting with the atmospheric ‘New Country’ they ease you in before unleashing a raucous version of their biggest hit, 2004’s ‘The Rat’ which, judging by the reaction is just as popular now as it ever was. ‘We’ve Been Had’ ends the night, apparently the first song they ever wrote together and a fitting way to close.
Stereoboard Gig Rating: 8/10
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
The inevitable comparisons to their fellow Tennesseans are reasonably accurate, the same influences are clear but they’re more than a sound-alike. Singles ‘Listen to your love’ and ‘Trouble on the way’ have a rawer sound live, while next to be released single ‘Teenager’ (available from 28th Feb) shows they can rock out too. Lead singer Nick Brown can scream with the best of them but also has a tuneful quality to his voice that gives the ability to switch heavy verses into melodic, catchy choruses. Everything is in place for these boys to go to bigger things very quickly.
