Photo: Press
The Neighbourhood are playing at XOYO tonight, and there’s no doubt it’s a small venue – made to feel even smaller by the amount of people crammed into the tiny room, desperate to get nearer the stage and, naturally, nearer the magnetically charismatic frontman Jesse Rutherford.
There’s something a little less polished than usual about tonight’s set. Maybe it’s the proximity of the crowd or maybe it’s just a little rawer – either way, the dark slickness of the songs is slightly offset by Rutherford’s obvious sheer enthusiasm just to be there.
Although all the songs are well-received, it’s clearly ‘Sweater Weather’ which gets the biggest reaction of the night. Hypnotic, with all the sexual charge that Rutherford can inject it with (and that’s a lot), it shows exactly why The Neighbourhood have such an immense fanbase tonight. They’ve definitely earned it.
It’s also new drummer Brandon Fried’s first concert since the departure of Bryan Sammis, but if you didn’t already know then it’d be difficult to tell. Fried fits seamlessly into the band like he’s been there all along, and the dynamics seem just as tight as ever. The lack of focus that The Neighbourhood’s debut album I Love You sometimes seems to have doesn’t apply tonight. The songs make for a cohesive set, with Rutherford effortlessly sliding into one track after another – darkly electrifying amid the flashing spotlights of the stage, tattoos peeking out from under his jacket.
They’ve been likened in the past to a ‘male Lana del Rey’ but there’s no equivalent to her often shaky live vocals tonight. Rutherford’s voice is on point and almost indistinguishable from the record, although perhaps the rest of the band could use a little bit more work on their backing vocals, with some of the harmonies falling slightly flat.
They more than make up for it with the onstage energy and enjoyment regardless, creating the feeling that everyone here tonight is part of something bigger. The band have said previously that UK audiences seem to ‘get’ their music more, and they’re definitely getting a strong reception tonight. There’s something about their mixture of R&B and indie which goes straight to the heart, and throughout song after song the words are being sung back to them by countless fans.
While the audience have no problem chanting along when needed, the universal shout of ‘Afraid’s “fuck you anyway,” loses some of the effect when Rutherford’s beaming out at everyone. But that’s not to criticise – The Neighbourhood’s tracks have been accused in the past of being somewhat ‘joyless’, and that’s something remedied tonight. It’s hard to be joyless when the band are up on stage and obviously having the time of their life.
Unfortunately, The Neighbourhood’s spark fizzles a bit at the end of their set. Despite telling the crowd that ‘Afraid’ is their last song, people are hanging around even when the band have left the stage, feeling like there must be something more. Alas, no encore is forthcoming – it really is over – and so fans begin to reluctantly head out into the night.
Next time The Neighbourhood return to London, it’s safe to say that they’ll be destined for bigger things.
