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The likes of Kaiser Chiefs, the Coral and Coldplay have started proceedings on the NME Tour in recent years before going on to major success. So, no pressure on Mumm-Ra then. Luckily, their glorious, bonkers pop is a treat, sometimes veering into thrashier territory but without ever losing sight of an appealing tune. Frontman Noo bounds around, only stopping to twirl a stuffed duck around. ‘She Makes You High’ is a melodic gem while the bouncy ‘Out of the Ordinary’ suggests that Mumm-Ra will follow in the footsteps of their predecessors and swiftly head to bigger things.
Once Mumm-Ra depart the crowd are united in one chant: “The View, the View, the View are on fire”. Sadly for them, The Horrors are up next. Booking the Goth five piece was always going to lead to some mystified reactions and so it proves. Opening with a feedback heavy dirge doesn’t help matters. Then there’s Farris Rotter’s singing. Actually, singing is not the best way to describe it, disgruntled mumbling would suit better. Yet some of their doom laden crypt rock does work. A flourish of garage rock, a nod to the distortion of the Jesus and Mary Chain and some theatrical on stage posturing means they’re actually an oddly compelling band to watch, even though when they’re bad, they’re really bad.
After they finish it’s back to The View chants. The reaction upon their eventual arrival is pandemonium. They don’t disappoint, delivering a tight set heavy on their album with a couple of b-sides thrown in for good measure. There’s no doubting the View have it, that magical attribute that all the truly great bands possess. Obviously, the singles of ‘Wasted Little DJs’, ‘Same Jeans’ and ‘Superstar Tradesman’ go down the best but so many of their tracks already seem established as stone cold classics. The punchy ‘Skag Trendy’, the swamp blues of ‘Comin Down’ and the frenzied ‘Posh Boys’ are all met with hysteria, the Academy a heaving sweaty mess by the end of it.
So, a great conclusion to a good gig then. Hang on, there’s one more band…
The Automatic’s set was all but doomed as soon as The View left the stage. That’s not to say it was bad but a good chunk of the crowd had already left and of those that remained the majority seemed content to watch casually, their energy already exerted at The View. At one point keyboardist and backing vocalist Pennie remarks "Oh, you’re awake" after there’s finally some movement. It’s not made with malice but it is a sign the Automatic realise the gig is slipping away, that in the minds of most they are merely an afterthought. Obviously, the ubiquitous ‘Monster’ (or Not That Bloody Song Again as it’s also been called) does get a strong reaction. Despite challenging ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ for title of the most overplayed song in the universe the song remains a stomping, maniac ride, the Automatic’s hyperactive pop rock at its best. There’s a muscular thud to album track ‘Keep Your Eyes Peeled’ and the closing ‘Recover’ is another catchy slice of the Automatic’s brand.
However it isn’t enough. The listless atmosphere doesn’t help but there’s also a feeling that the Automatic are missing something. Too many songs tend to be forgettable bursts, like ‘On The Campaign Trail’. Pennie’s habit of yelping backing vocals non-stop grates too, effective at times but a nuisance by the end. He’s like the musical version of Scrappy Doo, charging about and never shutting up. After they climax you can’t help but think back to earlier. The View are on fire. The Automatic are merely lukewarm.
