More on: We Are Scientists

Date: 27/02/07
Rating:

A sizeable crowd is early enough to see opening act Switches on this NME Awards Show at the Astoria. The band - with their recent addition of a keyboardist - kick off their lively set with last single 'Drama Queen', and play one catchy track after another. The bravado and swagger seen in the band's videos come across as playfulness in the flesh, and Switches are intent on making sure everyone has a good time. The band actually seem quite nervous to be playing here tonight, but such vulnerability is helpful on slower numbers like 'Every Second Counts'. Frontman Matt Bishop cranks it up for final number and next single 'Lay Down The Law', and by this time the crowd give the band their deserved appreciation, and are nicely warmed up for the rest of the night.

Next up are Pull Tiger Tail, and there's clearly no need for them to win over an audience after the reception they receive. Very much a band of the moment, with a stage set of day-glo tubes, and street-teamers having handed most of the crowd tiger masks, they fit in nicely with the whole scene. However, the band do not live up to the hype, and whereas their peers Klaxons have strong songs to back them up, Pull Tiger Tail's tunes feel a bit flat.

Things take a strange turn with the arrival of first support to the main act, in the form of Australian band The Scare. Their placement on this show is slightly mind-boggling, as their dated rock act doesn't really sit well between the trendy Pull Tiger Tail and the effortless cool of We Are Scientists. Resembling Towers Of London, the band are greeted with bemusement from the crowd, and then indifference. This riles frontman Kiss Reid, who - instead of perhaps using good old-fashioned charisma to win over the audience - resorts to insults. Being accused of being a boring crowd is never going to charm the masses, when they are suffering awful, cheesy rock. After expressing more disgust at the eerily still audience, Reid decides the personal touch might be more effective, and launches himself in to what looks like a good beating from fans unhappy at supporting him and his unwanted dramatics.

With the mood nicely killed, headliners We Are Scientists nevertheless come on to a rapturous welcome. The set opens with new number 'Spoken For', which is fairly subdued. In fact, the entire set is played at a slower pace, with none of the usual freneticism seen at a Scientists' gig. There is not much of the banter and witticism normally associated with the trio either. However, even in what seems like an off-day, musically the guys are razor-sharp and tight.

With new songs being previewed in the set, the fans' listening is rewarded with the likes of 'Cash Cow', where things really heat up, and 'It's A Hit'. The crowd care not that they aren't receiving a 100% show, and go mental anyway.

The set ends with 'Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt', which has everybody in the Astoria dancing. The encore sees 'Impatience' and 'The Great Escape', which invokes the most fun in an only-just-acceptable set. A strange night, with the Australian horrors throwing everything off-balance, and with the bands' relative enthusiasm decreasing throughout the night. However, the We Are Scientists fans came away happy.

Becky Reed

We Are Scientists Official Site