After a short break the 5-piece Metronomy 2.0 (as the live band has come to be known since the departure of Gabriel Stebbing) strode out onto the stage in matching burgundy blazers over all white outfits, replacing the iconic chest lights of the recent past. They began by playing three brand new songs back to back, culminating in the single 'Love Letters'; the first big song of the night, warmly received by the delighted crowd, with a Motown beat and 60's girl-group style backing vocals, sung by the whole band. For the opening number ‘Monstrous’ Joseph Mount, lead singer and the band’s main creative force, sat at his keyboards which were set up side-on at the front of the stage. Unfortunately this had the effect of making him almost disappear to anyone in the crowd further back than the front row. Later, as they stripped down to play a couple of songs with just keyboards and synth beats (including their other recent single ‘I’m Aquarius’) he remarked upon this, saying he had thought he'd devise a way of giving himself the chance to have a sit down during their shows, but hadn't quite banked on the distancing effect it would have.
Tonight was a night for trying things out on a very willing set of Brighton guinea pigs and, although they might have to re-think Mount's keyboard placement, I would struggle to think of much else they'll need to improve before taking the show on the road in March. The band were excellent with Mount taking lead vocals and performing most songs on guitar or bongos, backed by long-time collaborator Oscar Cash, looking suave as ever on the keyboards and backing vocals. I was particularly impressed by the newer rhythm section of Anna Prior on drums and Olugbenga Adelekan on bass. They also had a spare pair of hands, whose name I didn't catch, on a third keyboard and second guitar, enabling them to cover all the layers evident on their recordings. I love how prominently the bass guitar is featured and Adelekan was the right man for the job, playing with plenty of Prince-like swagger and providing some fantastic falsetto vocals throughout, he really helped to get the crowd going. Prior was formidable on drums, providing lead vocals on ‘Everything Goes My Way’ and getting the biggest cheer when Mount introduced the band; "you're all beautiful, perhaps not as beautiful though as Anna Prior on drums"!
We were introduced to no less than 8 new songs on the night, with my favourites being the brilliantly titled 'The Most Immaculate Haircut' and also ‘The Reservoir’; awash with arpeggios and a groove reminiscent of their big hit 'The Look' it could be a good contender for the next single. There were plenty of favourites from The English Riviera and Nights Out to keep the fans happy, although I would have liked to have heard them play ‘A Thing For Me’ (but those weird pitch shifted vocals might have been tricky to pull off). They ended the first half of their set, before the obligatory encore with a slower, sparser new song, which was probably not the best move. especially as it was marred somewhat by several people near me taking the opportunity shout loudly into each others ears. Thankfully they soon obliged us with a three song encore loud enough to drown out the rude talkers, including an excellent rendition of ‘Heartbreaker’. Great show, great band: I'll be getting that album!
Adam Kidd
Website: metronomy.co.uk
Facebook: facebook.com/metronomy
Twitter: twitter.com/metronomy