Live Review

Give It A Name Introduces… – O2 Academy, Liverpool

• 4th May 2010

Following two UK bands (Rio and The Wild) there’s an American invasion at Liverpool O2 Academy.

First up are Maryland alt-rockers The Dangerous Summer. The band’s sound is as grown-up as their name (taken from an Ernset Hemingway novel) suggests. There’s a gaggle of young fans at the barrier, lapping up friendly frontman AJ’s interaction with them as the band treat them to a string of tracks from their recently released second album Reach for The Sun. It’s almost too easy to listen to the urgent vocals and insistent riffs punctuated with dramatic drum fills which typify their music – but the audience are captivated, even though it’s evident that for many of them it’s first exposure to The Dangerous Summer. It’s the bands first time this side of the Atlantic and it looks like there’s a promising future with UK audiences ahead as the crowd whoop and cheer throughout their performance.

Phoneix’s Anarbor are next to grace the stage. Their fanbase is rather more established, so there are plenty of lips moving along with singer Slade’s and an excellent report between the band and their fans. Meanwhile, the whole band bounce tirelessly around the stage, radiating youth and exuberance. Highlights of their set are Let The Games Begin – a song so catchy you feel like you already know it when it starts – and Gypsy Woman, with its razor-sharp riffs and memorable lyrics (both taken from new album The Words You Don’t Swallow). The set flies by and there’s a brief sense of deflation that accompanies their departure.

The crowd make a rapid recovery in order to rapturously greet headliners The Swellers, who hail from Michigan (besides the line-up’s latest addition Canadian bassist Anto). The band’s relationships, both with one another and their audience, are remarkably strong – brothers Jonathon (drums/vocals) and Nick (vocals/guitar) are obviously a very effective creative partnership and it seems like Nick has made friends with the entire front row just two songs in. Old favourite This Is My Everest sends the crowd into a frenzy, and everybody present summons all their remaning energy to leap around the floor, egged on by the band themselves.

Those disappointed that Give It A Name as a festival appears to be off the cards this year will definitely be comforted by this awe-inspiring line-up; all three bands can look forward to more transatlantic acclaim as the tour continues.