Photo: Michael Lee Jamison
The Maccabees, a staple band of the doubtlessly popular noughties genre, fingerpicked the best tracks from their four-album career of indie anthems for South London last night.
So delightfully modest are the group that even before turning up on stage to a swooning sea of fans, David Bowie's 'Changes' played in its entirety in fully-fledged gig acoustics to commemorate such a sad passing of an iconic legacy in his home town. A beautiful and unexpected treat, also acting as a symbolic nod towards bands maturation over the past few years. Onwards with the show as the guys stepped on stage. Orlando Weeks led the charge, an aged ruffian from the teenage baby-faced heartthrob.
The eponymous track from the 2015 EP 'Marks to Prove it' introduced the bands newly expanded sound, channeling Arcade Fire-esque influences with a quartet of guitars delivering the set. Minimal interaction is dished from the stage with the band efficiently bringing the show to sound identically wart-free. Jumping back a ways, 'Feel to Follow' jerked the crowd into lyrical and harmonic melancholy before progressing into the up-tempo strings inducing crowd bopping and sweaty embracing.
With this reintroduction to 'Wall of Arms, it's only a matter of time before 'Love You Better' comes around as one of the handful of tracks that personifies the album (Orlando, that voice!)
Throughout the night we step further back from reality into tracks from the debut 'Colour It In', The band keeping intoxicated chants to 'Precious Time' in sync with vocal guidance. 'Latchmere' was played as in emotional dedication to the latest album's cover art and feel good nostalgia as a classic track from the early days.
'Spit It Out' brought the set to a close snapping back into reality. The room relayed the echoing oohs to entice the band back on stage to dust the cake that was the night with 'Toothpaste Kisses' and ended with 'Pelican' to plant the cherry on top before sending us on our way.
