Live Review
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. – The Borderline, London
It’s a mild Wednesday evening in London and the inhabitants of The Borderline are in for a treat. Two bands, who are great pals, are performing under this iconic roof and it is going to be epic. First up are the Scottish threesome The Xcerts, who only have thirty minutes to get the crowd going. They storm on to stage and start their set enthusiastically. The bassist, Jordan Smith, is wearing a Master and Margarita tee, so they have to be a smart get-up. The lead, Murray Macleod, appears quite timid a first, but as soon as he unleashes his powerful screaming vocals onto the crowd, everyone is blown away and suitably impressed. The music is full on rock, loud, unapologetic, in your face, rock. It’s quite refreshing to listen to a band that gel so well together and deliver such an immense sound without the arrogance.
As they steam through their set and get the teens rocking out, Macleod makes the comment: “Thanks for coming. Even though some of you don’t know who we are” and although it is true, their presence and energy on set gets you wholly involved and hooked. Their last song ‘Home Versus Home’ is quite quiet in comparison to their other offerings. It slowly builds up, the drums enter and a spectacular drop follows. The song oscillates between loud and quiet and their sound in similar to old Biffy Clyro. Macleod says his goodbyes and walks out into the audience. The band wind down but the drummer pounds on his set and they all start up again. Macleod does an awesome guitar solo on the floor in the middle of the audience. He finishes his performance and they confidently walk off stage. The three Scots certainly made their mark on the venue and have everyone revved up for Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.
After a quick change of equipment, it’s Sam Duckworth and his band’s turn to impress. After being away for a few years, Duckworth initially and understandably looks a bit anxious, but as soon as he strums his guitar, he didn’t need to worry anymore. His band has a quirky type of music, which is a blend of indie/rock/jazz/ska with a sprinkling of electro. Early on he debuts his new single, ‘Collapsing Cities’, which came out on Monday, and has a certain The Specials feel to it. It has a great beat and is rather mysterious, the horn aids with its ambiguity in a fun and buoyant manner. The exceptionally laddish crowd, sing back the lyrics to him and he sports a half smile. ‘An Oak Tree’ sounds half way between a lounge track and Spanish samba sound. Intriguing nonetheless and translates brilliantly live.
The next is a new song: ‘All Falls Down’, where he pulls out a mini megaphone and ties it around the mic. It is pink with pictures of a bee and flower; not very masculine but the audience doesn’t seem to mind. The horn is slow and sultry and the song has a dark moody disposition. When he speaks into the megaphone, the track changes direction and electric guitars enter the scene. It eventually descends into a fierce rock number. The song has many depths and layers and makes you desperate for more.
Later on in the set when Sam is more settled into his surroundings, as he speaks to the crowd, his band play an up tempo tune behind him. He talks about the BNP and as his fans know, he is famously outspoken about his distaste of them. “We are a nation of immigrants. Different backgrounds, different cultures and that’s what makes Britain great” he earnestly states before heading into ‘Glass Houses’.
He ends the set saying “This song is for you!” as ‘The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager (Part One)’ commences. Everyone knows the words so it’s a good old sing-a-long. People bopping, hands in the air and screams from the girls, it’s the perfect way to end the night. They walk off stage but the audience exclaims: “We want more!” fortunately for everyone, Sam walks back on stage on his own and does a touching version of ‘One More With Feeling.’ He explains it’s a bout community: “(the song) is the overhang of the breakup of community. What’s going on in your community is important.” Finishing with new track ‘The Uprising’, Sam has done his job and made fans and non-fans happy. The new album has more kick to it and it looks like his break from music has certainly done the job. Roll on Autumn tour.