Photo: WENN.com
Vampire Weekend never quite manage to look like the rock stars that they – arguably – are. Instead, they look more like a collection of misfit geeky university boys, with even frontman Ezra Koenig bouncing onto the stage at Camden Roundhouse wearing just a black jumper and jeans. Even the stage set up looks more like a grandmother’s front room, complete with Cath Kidston-esque wallpaper and a large, gold framed mirror.
But appearances can be deceiving and even if they’re not quite rock ‘n’ roll, there’s no doubt that Vampire Weekend still manage to rock the Roundhouse. The stage banter is minimal and Koenig doesn’t seem to quite have grasped the concept of the iTunes festival – “Are you guys beat, keeping this going for fifteen days?” he asks – but the atmosphere is at a consistent high and the songs come in quick succession.
It’s unsurprising that the older songs get the best reaction, in part because they’re definitely easiest to bounce around to (bassist Chris Baio, in particular, is pulling some definite moves on stage). There’s no shortage of them, either; ‘Oxford Comma’, ‘Campus’, ‘One (Blake’s Got A New Face)’, all make an appearance – as well, of course, the supremely catchy ‘A-Punk’ and crowd favourite ‘Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa’.
But it’s with the new songs that Koenig seems to be properly enjoying himself – and with good reason, as Modern Vampires of the City is the band’s triumph. From the opening ‘Diane Young’ to the “Camden premiere” of ‘Hannah Hunt’, Koenig is giving it his all – complete with ‘50s heartthrob style purrs.
‘Step’ manages to be a definite highlight, and garners a strong reaction from the audience as well. Polished and catchy and overall lovely, it retains all the best parts of Vampire Weekend while still showcasing their ability to push it forward. Some of the crowd seem at a loss of how to react to ‘Ya Hey’, which is a pity because the song sparkles when played live, with the band clearly enjoying pushing boundaries instead of sticking to their usual formula.
Vampire Weekend close their iTunes festival appearance with ‘Walcott’, and Koenig tells the crowd that if they’re going to dance, now is the time to do it. And boy, do they dance. Next time, let’s hope that Vampire Weekend don’t leave it so long before they return. It’s good to have them back.
