By the time Slaves take the stage the venue is nearing capacity and by the time their set opens the die-hard fans among the crowd are screaming for more.
Slaves are driven by a fury that seems almost alien in comparison to other British bands at the moment.
Don’t get the impression that the only appeal of Slaves is their brute force though, they know their way around a melody and they’ve got some interesting stage banter.
Their breakneck set only comes to a crawl for a brief few minutes towards the end when they enquire as to what the crowd’s favourite biscuit is.
It seems Hob Nobs rule the roost round these parts, not without a little debate mind you… particularly as to whether the Hob Nob in question is chocolate or plain.
The highlight of the set for many seems to be the instantly screamable ‘Where’s Your Car Debbie?’ a powerhouse of a song supposedly inspired by a Bigfoot panic in the band’s hometown.
After a brief interlude and the various sound checks the lights dim suddenly before Interpol emerge on stage and after a brief moment of applause they slam their way into the explosive ‘Say Hello to the Angels’.
After seeing various videos scattered around on the internet and hearing comments from friends it seemed that Interpol could be hit or miss live, however all fears are suddenly silenced as the chaotic chorus fills the room.
The band is on top form tonight particularly their drummer, Sam Fogarino, whose energy and skill seem almost limitless.
As soon as the iconic bassline to ‘Evil’ is unleashed the crowd really sink their teeth into the show; videos are taken, hands are clapped and that short but sweet chorus is screamed back at the band at a deafening volume.
While most of the set is made of up material taken from EL PINTOR and the bands bigger singles there are some slightly deeper album cuts for dedicated fans, such as ‘The New’, which is unfortunately tarnished by a strange bassy rumble emanating from somewhere on stage.
There are only two tracks taken from 2007’s Our Love to Admire and while they are a welcome addition the crowd seems a little restless during them.
However, the crowd soon come around again as the booming, psychedelic intro to ‘Not Even Jail’ blasts out from the stage; all the polite head bobbing and foot tapping of previous tracks is replaced by a deafening cheer and a unanimous sing-along.
The band keeps the crowd on their toes while tossing out one of their more punky anthems ‘Slow Hands’.
As the band exit the stage and the lights briefly come up, but nobody is fooled; we know there’s going to be an encore; the crowd simply refuse to stop chanting for one more.
The band come back on and launch into the first single for their very well received new album ‘All The Rage Back Home’.
The backdrop behind the band shows images of surfers hitting massive waves while Daniel Kessler’s screaming guitar tears through the track.
The light show changes drastically during the haunting ‘Leif Erikson’, the band a little more sombre and reserved are bathed in reds and blues as Paul Banks’ ghostly wails fill the quiet ballroom.
While Interpol show their raw power at various moments tonight, one of the more beautiful moments is when Banks, bathed in purple light, softly croons at the audience “I’ll bring you when my lifeboat sails through the night, that is supposing that you don’t sleep tonight.”
It’s a fleeting moment, but from here on the rest of the song plays out splendidly as couples hold each other and sway.
Changing the pace frantically Fogarino slams out the intro to ‘PDA’ and the crowd is ensnared in Interpol’s charms once again.
Prompting another sing-along with the crowd, they begin throwing back invitations to Banks to sleep on their couches albeit in a blunt Glasgow accent.
The band exit the stage, but are once more brought back on to perform one last song, poignantly it’s also the first song ‘Untitled’ from their debut album, at this point some fans have begun to leave the venue and in their wake have left a sea of discarded plastic cups.
What’s left of the crowd move forward at the sound of the hypnotic guitar intro and Banks rather sheepishly singing “oh, I will surprise you sometime.”
I can’t help but feel that’s what this whole evening has been; from start to finish the set has been great filled with enough hits to keep everyone happy and enough deeper cuts to keep the crowd guessing.
Perhaps this was the best song to end it all on, even if it is known as an opener.
Words: Phil Allen
Photos: Daphne Michalaki
