Live Review: Bombay Bicycle Club, City Calm Down, East

Backed by guitarist/synth player and drummer, East parades the stage in KISS t-shirt, grooving to the booming rhythms.

Chuffed to open for a band she loves, East doesn’t waste the opportunity and confidently delivers an effortless falsetto that visibly awes.

Jack Bourke evokes Robert Smith’s best guttural howls.

City Calm Down commence with the simmering mid-tempo dirge of Pavement. The best elements of ‘80s new wave combine to form the band’s sound, with driving bass, enveloping synth and pounding drums a seamless blend. Baritone singer Jack Bourke doesn’t hold back vocally, occasionally letting loose with an intensity that evokes Robert Smith’s best guttural howls.

Suddenly it’s jammed in the pit, and lights dim as Bombay Bicycle Club emerge. Guitarist Jamie MacColl strolls out first, gleefully waving arms. BBC’s touring contingent is six members strong, with backing vocalist and key/synth player adding special sauce. Slender band honcho Jack Steadman is dapper in red shirt, grinning as the looping intro to Overdone, from recent release So Long, See You Tomorrow, issues forth. Much to crowd delight, the band choose to follow swiftly with It’s Alright Now, as per album track listing.

Shuffle elicits hearty audience love as it begins, and the appreciation continues during the guitar harmonies in Lights Out, Words Gone. Bass player Ed Nash pumps out the low-end vigorously, long hair a blur, feeding off the energy from the crowd.

A cover of Robyn and Kleerup’s With Every Heartbeat is given the BBC treatment; backing vocalist Liz Lawrence is now centre stage, her gentle vocals and graceful swaying lending the song subtle charm. The Giantess features an acoustic intro reworking, the track slowly building upon itself with intermittent shotgun blast drums before a climactic crash ushers in the blistering cacophony of Emergency Contraception Blues.

“We’re gonna hopefully have ourselves a little dance party here,” Steadman enthuses, taking to a small drum kit to bring in the buoyant Feel. Latest LP title track, So Long, See You Tomorrow, winds up the main set and highlights the quality of backing vocals on display, with each member on point.

[A] flawless performance.

Foot stomping brings the band back out, and after What If provides an adrenalin dump (not to mention retinal damage from the blinding strobes), BBC triumphantly finish with the dance groove of Carry Me. Consummate professionals to the core, Bombay Bicycle Club can rest assured that after tonight’s flawless performance their popularity with fans in this town is not about to waver.