On the backdrop for tonight's show is a depiction of the Michael Faraday Memorial, which for those unfamiliar with it is a large steel box consisting of shaped panels built in the 1960's in commemoration of Michael Faraday whose inventions resulted in practical uses of electricity. The memorial is situated outside the Elephant & Castle tube station in South London and Mr Faraday was born nearby. The location is also significant to The Maccabees as their latest chart-topping album 'Marks to Prove It' was recorded at their studio which is also found in the area.
For the first night of this UK tour the band come onstage to a mix of screams and cheers (indicating the age and mix of sexes in the audience) and crash straight into the title track of the new album as an arc of blue strobes light the venue and give the memorial an eerie deep blue calming glow which is in contrast to the general chaos which is happening in the crowd.
The inclusion of a trumpet on 'Feel to Follow' and a slowed introduction to 'Something Like Happiness' introduces a more subtle feel compared with the recorded versions and show that The Maccabees have more in their locker than just the kick and rush of some other indie guitar bands. Another thing which differentiates them is the vocals of softly-spoken Orlando Weeks who thanks us for coming ,“ this is the first chance we've had to play these tracks in front of our fans, Maccabees fans”. His vocal on 'Spit It Out' starts as a whisper and gradually builds and builds until the triple guitars and hefty, driven drumming by Sam Doyle end the track as a full blown thrash-out. 'Silence' and ' River Song' two tracks from the latest album get their live debut tonight and are given a solid reaction from the crowd, who save their best sing-alongs for the older material such as 'Precious Time', 'No Kind Words' and 'Can You Give It'.
For the encore there's the contrast of the folky strumming of 'Toothpaste Kisses' and the instantly recognisable punchy, staccato introduction to 'Pelican' which finishes the night with a final bout of chaos in the crowd, and Mr Faraday's inventions and memorial glowing.
Alisdair Whyte
