October 7th, Camden barfly
Tonight?s a weird one, with only one support act, the gig doesn?t kick off ?til almost nine. No surprise then that the crowd is collectively swaying in drunken merriment by the time Innerpartysystem hit the stage.
First though, we have to endure a painfully dull set from Surrey boys Furthest Drive Home. I know they?ll inevitably think this is part of a personal grudge on our part, but my lord, were they bad tonight. An uninterested crowd heads barwards.
The one thing about Innerpartysystem?s set tonight that I just couldn?t get over was how much effort this band put into their live show. There is just so much going on. Songs like ?Die Tonight, Live Forever? and ?This Empty Love? sound, look, and feel massive, and ?The Way You Move? from their earlier EP is one of the highlights of the evening. The band?s use of digital vocal effects live is an unexpected pleasure, and something most others fail to pull off.
?Don?t Stop? ends the proceedings criminally short, but somehow you don?t feel cheated – what their set lacked in time, it made up in adrenalin-fuelled dance-party fun. Watching Innerpartysystem live, you can?t help but feel they?re more than just a band, they?re an audiovisual experience.
Andy R