Monday 31 October 2011

Wakey! Wakey! 19/10/11 London


This is the second time I've seen Wakey! Wakey! and of all the bands I've seen, they still create one of the most incredible ambiences I've experienced. During their hour and a half set, the band managed to cover every song of their debut album 'Almost Everything I Wish I'd Said The Last Time I Saw You...', along with some new material and an acoustic cover of Cyndi Laupers 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' and most importantly, my favourite song by them '1876 The Brooklyn Theatre Fire'.

Although they don't pull as big a crowd as they do in the US, they play any show just as energetic no matter how big their audience, and the intimate atmosphere they create seems to add to their appeal. However, what makes Wakey!Wakey!'s gigs particularly memorable is the interaction that the band  has with the audience, highlighting the endearing awkardness of Mike through stories of his childhood and their time in London.
It's rare to find an artist who sounds as good as they do on their albums, but I'd argue that they sound even better than they do on their recordings with their acoustic versions of songs from their album. They also played a lot of new material, which also seemed to go down well with the audience and the band managed to keep peoples focus throughout the new songs even where people couldn't sing along.

Their support bands are something to be noticed too. I hadn't seen Casey Shea before, but from the couple of songs I did manage to see him play, he seemed to have created a good energy with his opening act. To Kill a King were the second act of the night, who had supported the band before and definitely had some support from their own circle of fans, and played a great set. They were a support band that I would arrive early to a gig to see.

All the acts seemed genuinely overwelmed by the support, and seemed as though they had a lot of fun and even did a meet and greet after - something you wouldn't usually expect from one of your favourite artists. They are one of the most incredible bands to see live, and when you do, you'll see that their recordings don't do them as much justice as actually being there. I know with the kind of performances I've seen them do this year, I will definitely be there next time they play in London!

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