Everything Everything at the Troxy live review by Ryan Beardsley.
Manchester art rock heroes Everything Everything are in East London and it’s a sell out at Troxy, a spot recently acknowledged as London’s finest live venue by none other than Liam Gallagher. God, I will miss it now that Brixton Academy has re-opened and started sweeping up all the gigs again, and not just because it’s a five-minute walk from my flat…
From the outset it’s clear tonight is a showcase for the latest release Mountainhead, as the show kicks off with 3 tracks in a row from the new record which feels a little bit uncharitable and in truth, the show doesn’t really get going until the anthemic Kemosabe is belted out and the night suddenly kicks into overdrive.
That isn’t to say the new songs aren’t great, because they are, Cold Reactor and The Mad Stone are highlights, the latter exemplifying frontman Jonathan Higgs trademark, rapid-fire delivery in all its flawless glory.
However it isn’t until Night of The Long Knives from 2017’s Man Alive that things crank back up again, but it’s worth the wait for the fan favorites, especially one like this that fully encapsulates the rock opera feel of the record, showcasing Higgs breathtaking falsetto accompanied by 3000 backing singers of East London’s finest amateur choir.
Next up, early hits Cough Cough and Photoshop Handsome have the crowd in a frenzy and begs the question, why not do this the whole night? It’s a strange one because the new record is excellent and acclaimed, but due to the complexity of the band’s sound, including the typically dynamic, dense lyrics means that the songs are often growers and you need a fair amount of time to fully absorb them. Hence a barrage of newer tracks can feel a bit like a bombardment that is difficult to fully appreciate.
This is illustrated by the fact that we have to wait until the end of the set to hear anything from Get To Heaven, their undoubted apex and a genuine contender for best record of the 2010s. Once again the anticipation is worth the reward and Distant Past sees the theatre descend into chaos as all inhibitions are lost and the party hits its peak.
The band make up for a slightly stingy setlist with two more Get To Heaven classics in the encore, Spring / Sun / Winter / Dread and No Reptiles see guitarist Alex Robertshaw showcase his skills as the band cut loose and bask in the well deserved adoration.
So what’s the moral of the story? Everything Everything’s music is so multi layered; ultra-stylised rock influenced by the disaster capitalism that transcends the very air we breathe and this is all well and good, but on a Friday night people want to get drunk and have a dance, so play a few more hits ay?
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