The last time I saw Club Smith, just over a year ago, they were riding on the crest of the electro-indie wave. They didn't bowl me over musically, but to give them their due, the proficiency and energy of their performance was impressive. This time around, in a different venue rather than headlining, they're at the bottom of the bill. Their sound has changed a fair bit, too. As forthcoming single, 'No Friend of Mine' attests, they’re moving toward an edgier, more guitar-driven sound, with the keyboards less prominent, and I found myself liking them quite a bit more. Some robust percussion and crunchy bass combines to provide a tight rhythm section that forms the backbone of a set that sounds more like Franz Ferdinand than anything else. For a change, I don't mean that as a criticism, either.
Napoleon IIIrd is a name I've read almost countless times, but I've heard very little - maybe a couple of tracks - of the man's work. The little I had heard didn't prepare me for the performance I witnessed on stage.
There's a hell of a lot going on for starters, a dense, multi-layered cathedral of sound builds... and builds, with guitar, keyboards, laptop, drums and bottles all in the mix. The vocals are all but buried, becoming another instrument, with the whole lot wrapped in a giant cloak of reverb. Joined by Sky Larkin's drummer Nestor Matthews, Napoleon (or James to his mates) builds his set around clanging, clattering, industrial percussion, the towers of chaotic noise held within the gravitational pull of a heavily rhythmic force. Spellbinding, and an absolute revelation.
I've actually lost count of the number of times I've seen I Like Trains play. While the sound, the set and lineup have all changed through the years (the departure of Ashley Dean meant the loss of both cornet and live visuals), the fact I keep coming back for more is testament to what a consistently great live act they are.
I had wondered how the new album, 'He Who Saw the Deep' would be received by diehard fans. Not because it's a bad album - it certainly isn't - but because it's just not immediately recognisable as an iLiKETRAiNS album. But then, it isn't an iLiKETRAiNS album: it's an I Like Trains album. Without the haunting epics and crushing crescendos that the band had made their trademark, 'He Who Saw the Deep' comes across as a solid, confident album. Less subdued, restrained and overtly produced than its predecessor, it's a shorter, tighter set, and, dare I say it, a more upbeat sounding album. Having already heard a fair few of the songs aired live ahead of the album's release, I knew that they would work in a concert setting, and judging by tonight's turnout, there are plenty of others who agree.
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They open with 'Sirens', built on a weaving, looping guitar motif, and quickly dispatch 'A Rookhouse For Bobby' which seemed slightly lacking somehow, the final climax just not loud enough, the execution not attacking enough. As the set progressed, the sense that they weren't quite sparking persisted. That tonight was the last night of the tour, after five weeks on the road, may have accounted for this.
'Terra Nova' marked a definite turning pint, however, and the remainder of the set reminded me of exactly why I'm here. Everything builds through a majestic rendition of 'Sea of Regrets' to a suitably blistering performance of 'Spencer Perceval' that concluded with a climactic thrash and squall of feedback that left me realising that the show had been louder than I'd first thought. A triumphant end to the tour.
Club Smith Online
Napoleon IIIrd Online
I Like Trains Online
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