Live Review

NME Awards Show – Shepherds Bush, London

• 4th Feb 2011

The NME awards shows have recently become a prominent event in every keen live music fans diary. Showcasing top bands at a range of UK venues to build up the awards ceremony, they offer an opportunity for readers to catch a glimpse at who’ll be making movements in the forthcoming year.

Venturing to Shepherds Bush Empire, exhausted, on a cold February evening – to see bands that are renowned for their summer and party atmosphere wouldn’t have been my idea of the most ideal evening out. But taking off my coat and finding my seat in the quaint West London venue I was radiated with a warmth of indie-cool. Only managing to catch the end of first support Grouplove’s set I was intrigued to hear more as a powerful guitar wave hit me as they smashed out the last few chords.

Second support Summer Camp, opted for a revolutionary set design in the form of a projector encompassing images of all to cool Miami sun-kissed faces, popping up throughout their performance. Although the crowd seemed to react well to the swooning intertwining vocals of the duo, I couldn’t make my mind up whether they were trying too hard, of just too hip to care. Listening back though, I’ve come to the conclusion that live they just don’t provide the same experience as on record. Still, it’ll be interesting to hear what they’ve got planned for 2011.

Headliners, Los Campesinos (!) were the act everyone was awaiting. Making fans wait a hefty 40 minutes on changeover, at just after 9.30 the lights dimmed to focus onto a glow-in-the-dark setting, encompassing it’s central focus around the drum kit. As the band walked onto stage, an intense energy came from the first song and remained to stand strong throughout the set, the crowd below complying eagerly by jumping from the off. The music, shifting from tender at moments to ruckus at the next showcased the bands dynamic ability to captivate. But, although lead vocalist Gareth Campesinos’ voice can become exhausted and too familiar at times, the energy behind them more than made up, at moments throwing himself to the floor throughout the performance. The set as a whole was electric, fun, and powerful watched by an intent and loyal crowd, and deserving of more acclaim.

Los Campesinos have a great ability to nurture a crowd, building perfectly and leaving moments of suspense as well as time to let an audience catch their breath. It wouldn’t be wrong to compare them to being like a young Arcade Fire, and that of course, is a very good thing.

A new album is expected soon; from what we heard tonight, it’ll be a good one!

7/10