CAGE THE ELEPHANT
AUTOVAUGHN
SPIRES
Cambridge Junction
3rd November 2008
First off I have to explain that I was originally attending the gig to review one of the support acts, FiN. Unfortunately there were a few problems and the band ended up pulling out of the rest of the tour. I was gutted to say the least about not getting to see them because I thought that they were an amazing band and the stuff that I had heard from them days before had completely impressed me.
FiN were replaced by the band Spires, I didn’t have any time to check them out before I went but what I heard of them wasn’t bad at all. The band had a bit of an odd stage presence at first but as their set got going I grew to like them a bit more.
Their first song was really chilled out and quite calm, a complete contrast to what I was expecting (this was judged from what I knew Cage The Elephant were like on stage, you‘d think that the support acts would be something similar to the headlining band?!).
I must say though, that I did think they were a bit genre typical. At times they seemed a bit stationary and a bit stiff, at times it looked like the drummer, James Rees, was the only one enjoying himself, but I think that sort of edge can automatically be recognised in any alternative band.
Some of the intros to their songs reminded me of various songs by the band Editors (another one of my personal favourites, I have compared a few artists to them before) which was definitely not a bad thing at all, when they eventually got into the song the chorus’s were totally different and the sound was totally their own (which is good because no band wants to spend their whole career being compared to everybody else). The stuff they played was definitely ambient and very ,very chilled out. Not something you could properly have a dance to, maybe just a bit of a sway!
Overall, Spires are a pretty cool new band, good vocals, great harmonies. They’ve only been around since the beginning of the year and I’d say that their sound was really mellow and chilled out. They were a lovely start to the evening, they definitely got the crowd warmed up for Autovaughn and Cage The Elephant. Despite the short notice gig- they did a good job!
Again, In was disappointed that the band only really came alive, so to speak, during the FOURTH song. I’m really beginning to think that the three song maximum for the photographers should be changed because you miss so much of the action!
I thought that Autovaughn were different to bands I’ve seen lately. The thing that surprised me most about them was that they seemed to have the “American Rockstar” look going on, but the stuff they played sounded completely British and you could definitely hear their English influences coming through in their music. These include; Oasis, The Verve and U2. You wouldn’t think that they were all from Tennessee, US. I had read about their USA-UK crossover when I did some background on them and I couldn’t see how it could possibly work, now I know.
The band describe themselves as a “musical dictatorship”, I wouldn’t go that far when describing them but I would most certainly agree that there was something about them that ultimately left you wanting more once their set had finished. The band were a good choice to support Cage The Elephant, their whole sound and image is fresh. They are another band with a great sound, definitely a band to keep an eye on, I really do think they‘re going places (or will do). Crowds also got to hear a few new songs, one of which was a bit rockier and a bit more of what you would expect from them if you hadn’t heard them before, and it was also revealed that Autovaughn were planning on recording a brand new album in January 2009.
A crowd favourite seemed to be the song “The Cycles”. I had heard this one before on their website and listened a few times and liked it but it was so much more intense hearing it being played live. Autovaughn are another one of those bands that seem to sound so much more better when you see them live than if you listened to them on an album/record/single. Any band that sound better live are a definite hit with me because it really shows off their talent (which I would say was very important in this day and age! It’s good to make yourself stand out in a crowd).
The only artists I can think of that I would compare them to that people would have heard of would be Kings Of Leon. I think there might be a slight influence in there somewhere!
After a great set by Autovaughn the stage was cleared of pretty much everything (including mic stands, guitar stands and other various pieces of equipment that seemed kind of vital for a gig) and Cage The Elephant took over.
The crowds reaction to the entrance of Cage The Elephant pretty much summed up what I thought of the band’s overall performance- mental. As soon as they burst into the first song the mood in the venue completely changed, the band brought a certain vibrancy and energy onstage with them that rubbed off on the audience completely. The bands stage presence was all there and there was no stiffness to them at all. I think every member of the band managed to move across the stage at one point. Cage The Elephant were undoubtedly hyped up, rearing to go and full of movement and energy from the offset. Cage turned out to be ANOTHER one of those bands that just seemed to impress me with how they sounded live!
The band members were certainly not camera-shy either! I think they were all trying really hard to either pose for the cameras or show off to the crowd, maybe both, it really was very funny. I thought it was a nice change though to see a band almost raw. Not as in the unclothed kind of raw, but just them being themselves. The whole thing just seemed like a big rehearsal! Full of messing about and having fun.
Another thing the band seemed to really enjoy was getting the crowd involved and making the audience members not seem so passive. There was plenty of jumping into the crowd and getting them hyped up- much like themselves. People in the crowd tried to show their appreciation by crowd surfing back and forth and then trying to climb onto the stage in some cases - I say try because none of them succeeded in getting up there. (well all apart from the guy dressed as an elephant who was invited up by the band to have a dance during “ain’t no rest for the wicked”.)
The energy of the bands set just didn’t seem to dye down at all- it was quite extraordinary- definitely what I would call a “proper” gig!
Anybody that knows this band would know that it’s the way in which Cage The Elephant combine very “American-Country” styles of music with those of the more rocky ones we see a lot of that defines them and makes them who they are. It really impresses me that they do it so well to be honest.
There were plenty of songs that went down really well with the audience. These of course included; “Aint no rest for the wicked” and “In one ear”. Cage The Elephant also played a brand new song titled, “Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Help me, Help me, Help me”.
Cage’s set seemed to really pass by quickly, I think that was the ONLY downer. The end of the gig was just as entertaining as the rest of it though. By the end you could really tell that lead singer, Matt Schultz, was tired as he walked off-stage. But it wasn’t long until the band were back again jumping into the crowd. This was the first encore the band had ever done, and it really was something special. Schultz even managed to crowd surf for a bit!
The band are such a group of individuals, they all have different stage antics and different ways of playing and it all just comes together on stage- I love it. Cage The Elephant sound NOTHING like any band I’ve ever heard so it’s hard to pinpoint another band that they could be compared to people who’ve never heard of them before. They also sound nothing like any of the other artists on their record label, Relentless Records (Joss Stone, KT Tunstall), which isn’t a bad thing I suppose because it shows just how diverse the label is and how individual the band are!
But overall it was a pretty energetic and fun-filled evening- the band are well worth catching on tour if you’re one of those that like to go crazy at gigs!
Words By Carleanne Gwen O’Donoghue.
Photograph By SiZe Photography
www.myspace.com/spiresband
www.myspace.com/autovaughn
www.autovaughn.com
www.myspace.com/cagetheelephant
www.cagetheelephant.co.uk
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment