The London Indie rockers kicked off their headline UK tour promoting their fourth album, Marks to Prove It, in great fashion at Rock City on Wednesday night. A highly energetic set delivered plenty of entertainment for the sold out crowd who were left eager for more as the 10pm curfew came around far too quickly.
As purveyors of some of the best indie guitar music the UK currently has to offer, the band opened with the explosive energy of the excellent ‘Feel to Follow’, which sent the crowd raucous. This was not to be the last time the crowd became rowdy, as they danced wildly and sung loudly to almost every song, mirroring the spirit and vigour of the band.
“The distinct sound of the new record translates perfectly to the stage”
This was followed by frontman Orlando Weeks intrepidly announcing to the crowd that the band would be playing some material live for the first time. He certainly had no need to worry about their reaction, as the distinct sound of the new record translates perfectly to the stage. It is abundantly clear that this is a band that record music together, rather than piecing different sections to create a collective, as they were so attuned to each other on stage. By this stage in the Maccabees career they’re aware of their immense capabilities on stage and how to thoroughly maximise them.
A night filled with classics from their earlier albums, such as ‘Love You Better’ and ‘First Love’, combined with the live debut of new tracks such as ‘Silence’, received great reactions from the crowd throughout the set. I doubt that a single person wasn’t hanging off of Orlando’s every syllable for the entire 75 minutes. A particular highlight of the performance was ‘Precious Time’, evoking euphoria from the admiring fans.
“Possibly the highlight of the gig came with ‘Toothpaste Kisses’, which, although no longer a fundamental part of the Maccabees set list, is truly a special treat when it’s included”
Added to the exceptional set list was the band’s interaction with the fans throughout, which was subtly done, but really created an intense, close atmosphere which is hard to create in a venue as large as Rock City. The band’s regular interaction with the balcony made sure that none of the fans were excluded, a feat many bands struggle to achieve here.
The Nottingham crowd was treated to a truly outstanding four song encore which included finishing on the anthemic ‘Pelican’. Possibly the highlight of the gig came with ‘Toothpaste Kisses’, which, although no longer a fundamental part of the Maccabees set list, is truly a special treat when it’s included. The combination of such slow and tender songs against soaring, energetic tracks like ‘Pelican’ completed what was already a special set. The whole crowd were left eagerly awaiting the next time the Maccabees come to town.
Jack Smiddy
Image: Greg Neate via Flickr
