It's taken them some time to get there, but A, one of the stalwarts of the British pop/rock scene, are finally achieving their potential.
It's been a few years since we in Britain have had a chance to see the Perry brothers et al in the flesh, a mammoth and near disasterous tour of America plus subsequent recuperation time and then the recording of new album 'Hi-Fi Serious' getting in the way, but things are on the up. Longing to find an answer to last year's American rock invasion, the British media and record buying public have welcomed A back to the fold with open arms.
Tonight's is a truly international bill, with support from German punkers The Beatsteaks and upcoming Americans Fenix TX. Both give it their all, and although it's a slightly more skate-punk feel to the beginning of the evening than might be expected, it all goes down well.
It takes a while for the stage to be set up for tonight's headliners, but by the time A finally grace the stage, the half hour wait hasn't dampened the spirit of the crowd. By the end of the opening salvo of 'Took It Away', 'Monkey Kong' and 'Old Folks', everything is back to normal with the world, it's as if A have never been away. It's by no means a surprise that a lot of the material tonight is from 'Hi-Fi Serious', but all sections of the back catalogue are given an airing, and while this crowd would probably mosh to anything, there's a slight air of unfamiliarity noticeable when it comes to some of the older tunes.
Like a pack of crazed dogs, the band are all over the stage, and obviously loving every minute of it, even normally po-faced bassist Dan Carter can't even resist the odd smile.
It's been a while and they may have had their problems, but the live show is where A really thrive. Be it the metal onslaught of 'Nothing' the summery 'Pacific Ocean Blue', or the singalong majesty of 'I Love Lake Tahoe', A still haven't forgotten how to entertain, and it's damn fine to have them back.
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