Back to the Bach for Japandroids on a Thursday night was something I was very much looking forward to. Since Heart Sweats was randomly picked by my iPod a couple of years ago I have been patiently waiting to see this Canadian duo play live. So I did, this is how it went (summary=really well).
Before telling you that you should all go and see the irrepressible Japandroids live, I will approach the subject of the opening act, a young gent by the name of Cadence Weapon. He is a hip hop rap man which was not what I, or a lot of people there, were expecting. Because of this there was a slightly stammered start to proceedings but it is to his credit that by about the third song, people were crowding around and bopping along. And they had good reason to. Despite the early show time and very different sound to the popular headliners, his showing was fantastic.
Exuberance and enthusiasm pulsed from the performance against a back drop of marvellously grand and bouncing beats. I am not going to try and give a comprehensive review of this rap music as, while it is a genre I enjoy immensely, it is not one that I can write about in a massively convincing manner. Saying that, this guy was enjoyable and genuine and regardless of whether he was playing music that was compatible with Japandroids (and, for the record, I think it was) his talent was undeniable.
Oh, before I forget. You should all go and see the irrepressible Japandroids live. The duo from Vancouver perform with all the frantic and unavoidable energy that you would expect if you listen to their music on the metal discs and ethereal computer bits. Stand outs against the flood of contemporary music relying on 100+ elements whirring around in the background, the back-to-basics guitar and drum bashing is awesomely refreshing. With the thrashing sounds blasting through air thick real gig experience that is impossible not to enjoy. AND they played Heart Sweats and it was sodding unbelievable.
Given the hour+ that was allocated to the headlining act and the upcoming album to promote, the density of old songs was a real treat and there was a sense throughout the performance that Japandroids were there simply so that everyone involved could have an immensely good time. Their choice to conduct their pre album tour in the smaller venues was also a good one. The compressed crowd up close to the duo added to the unprofessional and uninhibited sensation that often accompanies their music.
With their second album coming out early next month, there was no escaping a good chunk of new material but this is not something that I could complain about. If anything, the new stuff sounds like it could overshadow the Post-Nothing debut album of three years(ish) ago. All very exciting and formed with a sense of increased maturity without losing any of the recklessness.
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