Southern trains are responsible for me missing many support acts, and tonight LaFaro were their latest victim – I only managed to get into the Underworld as they were packing away their equipment, which is a shame, as they sound great from what I’ve heard.
I’m fairly late to the Moneen bandwagon, and after seeing them at Slam Dunk, I was looking forward to seeing them take on a smaller stage. Tonight’s set was more subdued than the previous I’d seen due to injuries sustained by singer/guitarist Kenny over the weekend, but the effort the band put into adapting songs accordingly was admirable.
Tonight further cemented my regret at not checking Moneen out earlier – and though I’ve really not been listening long enough to do anything but eschew from naming a favourite song, I enjoyed it as much as I did as the injury inducing set of the weekend, and they were almost worth the asking price alone. [4/5]
I’m never quite sure about the Underworld – it tends to be a little hit or miss soundwise, and only the fact that I’m clocking in at around six feet means I get to see anything at all when it’s busy. To give full credit to the sound staff, tonight was spot on and I could just about see above the crowd that had grown substancially between Moneen and the headliners.
Apart from two occasions, Rx Bandits spend tonight dipping no further than three albums back – it’s not really a surprise, and I think that anyone coming to see them expecting a ska-punk show has been woefully neglecful of the bands progress since the album of the same name. A major difference between tonight and their recent Slam Dunk appearance is that the vast majority of audience have been paying attention, and there’s big singalongs for even the newest output.
Rx Bandits are stunningly talented at their instruments, and every time I’ve seen them I’ve been blown away – tonight is no different, and I could have watched for another 45 minutes with ease.
They are a band that go from strength to strength and it’s criminal they don’t get more recognition in the UK – but it’s not like anyone here really cares about that tonight, and as the sweaty bodies emerge from the Underworld and the band leaves the stage, everyone’s had a brilliant evening. [5/5]