Mew @ The Roundhouse, London - 20/05/15

'Mew carry on the Danish tradition for doing things just that little bit better than the rest of us'

Mew Live Review at The Roundhouse London

Photo: Richard Gray

For decades the Danes have been reminding us ever so politely that they do things just a little bit better than us. From smug Carlsberg ads to the first series of The Killing, they have a slick and efficient way of going about things that suggests they just know how to get things done – with little fuss but maximum impact. Mew fit neatly into this Scandinavian tradition and from the moment they walk on stage at the Roundhouse they do nothing to break with the traditions of their countrymen.

The band still look disgustingly healthy despite seeing almost 20 summers since releasing their debut album A Triumph For Man. They bound on to the stage with the enthusiasm of men half their age and launch immediately into a barnstorming version Witness, to the delight of the North London crowd. And so it goes.

Mew play on and the audience listen, often delighted but just occasionally a little under whelmed. The band do everything exceptionally well and nothing they do musically can be faulted. Frontman Jonas Bjerre’s ethereal vocals are sometimes lost in the wall of noise but overall they carry the melodies with great aplomb and no little skill. He’s expertly complemented by guitarist Bo Madsen who, despite dressing like a Patrick Bateman-style serial killer, delights the crowd with his vim and choppy, angular lines.

There are moments of spine-tingling beauty towards the end of the night as a three-song run of 'Clinging to a Bad Dream', 'The Zookeeper’s Boy' and 'Louise/Louisa' draw the crowd’s attention fully to Bjerre and Madsen’s tandem charms.

So Mew carry on the Danish tradition for doing things just that little bit better than the rest of us. But even among all the flashing lights and pounding drums, it’s hard not to miss a little dose of danger. The Killing is great, the Bridge is great but despite this most people prefer Game of Thrones. Sometimes the sheen has to come off, things need to get messy and the psychopath has to win. For all they have to offer, one fears this would never be allowed under Mew’s watch. Maybe it’s unfair – but it’s hard not to miss that edge.

Mew played:

1. Witness
2. Satellites
3. Special
4. The Zookeeper's Boy
5. The Night Believer
6. Beach
7. Silas the Magic Car
8. Snow Brigade
9. She
10. Spider
11. Water Slides
12. Hawaii
13. Am I Wry? No
14. 156 Apocalypso
15. Saviours of Jazz Ballet (Fear Me, December)
16. Medley (Clinging To A Bad Dream / The Zookeeper's Boy / Louise Louisa)
17. My Complications
18. Comforting Sounds