Live Review

Bombay Bicycle Club – Troxy, London

• 14th Dec 2010

Tonight, it was the turn of Crouch End boys, Bombay Bicycle Club to bring their own blend of pop-indie to East London’s remarkable Troxy. What some may consider a huge venue at a grand 2,500 capacity, it still felt an intimate setting for the band to finish off their weekend Christmas extravaganza after playing two acoustic shows the night previous.

With the support coming from the hotly tipped Flashguns and Trophy Wife, the evening quickly became something special. Being Bombay’s first London electric gig in quite a while, anticipation could be felt throughout the crowd, as frontman Jack Steadman’s own solo productions filled eager fans ears in between bands.

Taking the stage powerfully with ‘Dust On The Ground’ each snap of guitar quickly resonated around the venue, while each word began to be carefully sang out by both audience and band.

The set, broad as a whole, consisted most of debut album I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose, along with Bombay’s Twilight addition ‘How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep’ and a first listen at 4 new tracks from the keenly awaited follow up. A track named ‘Beggars’ seeming to be the one with the best reception, finding its way into the encore, aswell as a previewing the night before at the acoustic gig.

Each with its own charismatic charm and presence, the crowd saw harmony in favourites such as ‘Always Like This’ and ‘Cancel On Me’. A standout highlight coming with ‘Evening/Morning’, as the crowd descended into a sea of mayhem. The stalls becoming a blur of teenagers whirling around, reaching for every beat and shouting back every line.

Tonight though, most of all, Bombay Bicycle Club showed they can stand their ground among a growing list of great British indie bands. With what looks to be an even brighter and more exciting future ahead of them, they continue to lead the way in creating stunning, catchy yet still emotionally charged tunes.

With the mention of a new album ‘Hopefully before next summer,’ I for one cannot wait to see what else they’ve got up there sleeve.

8/10