Vampire Weekend
King’s College, London
26/05/2010

Vampire Weekend have come a long way in two years. Tonight, though, they return to their roots; and the prospect of this small venue show is enticing.

The band appear nervous when they hit the stage, but as frontman Ezra Koenig plays the first bar of ‘White Sky’, they look instantly at home. The crowd settle in, too, and by the time he gets to ‘Cousins’, and the over-and-over mantra of “You can turn your back on the bitter world”, they’re raucous enough to bellow every single word back at him.

Tonight’s set is heavily reliant on new album ‘Contra’, and though the crowd enjoy every minute of it, it’s not until the likes of ‘A-Punk’ and ‘Oxford Comma’ are showcased that they really go wild.

Finishing the hour-long set with their “goodbye” song, ‘Walcott’, Vampire Weekend remind us of their canny knack for an indelible pop-hook.

Tonight it’s clear: Vampire Weekend can be triumphant in a venue of any size.

James Masters