Dr. Martens #FIRSTANDFOREVER FESTIVAL
British Sea Power/Fly With Vampires

Barfly,

London

20/10/2011

It may be Liverpool lads Fly With Vampires’ first

London gig but oh my, if this youthful foursome aren’t jaw-droppingly good. We’d come to marvel at British Sea Power but being blown away by this lot is a delightful surprise. Consummate professionals, the three boys and a bear (their words!) play catchy rock that gets not only the Liverpudlian rent-a-crowd moving but forces the rest of us to pay attention. It’s not often male harmonies venture outside of the manufactured boy band setting but here it is: three voices in perfect harmony, going acapella when they really want to make a scene. This may be Fly With Vampires’ first show in the big smoke but after a performance like this, it certainly won’t be their last.

But the big draw at tonight’s FIRSTANDFOREVER Festival is Southend indie stalwarts, British Sea Power who are playing their second 2011 show in the Barfly, and feeling right at home. No preamble, just straight into ‘Who’s In Control’ from latest album ‘
Valhalla Dancehall’, and the crowd are shouting along gleefully from the off: “Over here!  Over there! Every fuckin’ where!” BSP have always had a dedicated following and that following are determined to show their appreciation tonight. Under our feet, the floor bounces as if on springs, and BSP cheerfully encourage the madness; when the roof caves in they’ll still be grinding those guitars.

The set is sprinkled with tracks from each of their four ‘proper’ albums. Newer tracks like the claustrophobic ‘Mongk II’ crash into the chaotic melodies of ‘Do You Like Rock Music’’s ‘No Lucifer’, while the infectious ‘Remember Me’ and the whispering ache of ‘Carrion’ represent the debut. A straightforward great show from this loveably quirky band.

Louise McHenry