I have the biggest music crush on this woman right now. Her voice is completely mesmerising and she really does sing from her soul.A stand out song of hers is 'Oh Mississippi', a gorgeous, old fashioned country tale with a heart-rending sound. It makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up every time I hear it. Her sound seems to have had an effect on me as I've found myself listening to a lot more folk and laid back rock genres recently, particularly Band Of Horses, Mumford And Sons, Noah And The Whale and Laura Marling. Perfect soundtrack for the summer.
Fresh from another support slot with friends and fellow Welshmen Lostprophets earlier in the year, Kids In Glass houses return to London to showcase their very big second album ‘Dirt’ to a packed, sold-out Koko. As one of the Dirt musical’s most anticipated dates, the band finally got their moment to shine; and what better place to do it than Koko, a classy venue fit for a classy band.
From the second set opener ‘Artbreaker I’ drops and explodes like a bomb, it is clear that this show is going to be one exhilarating trip. They are here for one reason and one reason only; to entertain. This is something they have never had any problems doing in the past thanks to those trademark infectious hooks and their huge on-stage presence. They are obviously here to show off the new record but a few tracks from debut ‘Smart Casual’ are thrown in for good measure and even a sneaky cover of Gwen Stefani’s ‘Hollaback Girl’ makes an appearance. Every single song is received enthusiastically by the crowd, particularly fan favourite ‘Give Me What I Want’ and recent single ‘Matters At All’, as their catchy choruses are bellowed by almost every person in attendance. The band’s energy instantly rubs off on the crowd as the whole floor is engulfed within an enormous mosh-pit at the drop of ‘Fisticuffs’ and ‘Artbreaker II’. As they continue to smash out one hit after another, it is clear that their live sound has significantly improved. The new record being notably heavier definitely plays a role in this as the powerful riffs of ‘Youngblood (Let It Out)’ and ‘Hunt The Haunted’ challenge a number of their pop rock predecessors; many of which are loyal fans of the band. Tonight, members of One Night Only, You Me At Six, The Saturdays and Mcfly turn up to show their support and check out their new competition.
The chaos of the night is only briefly paused during ‘The Morning Afterlife’, as poignancy fills the room and shows that this song is in a completely different league to anything they have ever done before. Front man Aled Phillips’ vocals sound stronger than ever and he manages the epic power ballad as if he’s been whipping them out for years. Set concluder ‘Sunshine’ also echoes this as every single member of the band puts everything they have into the last few seconds. The powerful track leaves an emotional lasting impression on every person in the room. I’ve seen Kids In Glass Houses conquer many venues over the last four years, but this performance completely thrashed them all. They were already on their way to becoming one of the biggest breakthrough bands in the U.K, but this show just confirmed that they are well ahead of any competition. One thing is certain, they have a very exciting future ahead of them and I’m honoured to have been paying attention from the very beginning.
This is my extended review, to see the edited version on Rock Midgets, click here: rockmidgets
(Sneaky snap of One Night Only frontman & Burberry model, George Craig)
Last night I went to see Kids In Glass Houses at Koko in Camden. I was so excited to hear their new stuff live and they completely exceeded my expectations. I've seen them quite a few times over the last 4 years, but last night was by far the best. I usually stand down the front for gigs but Koko is such a cool venue that this time I decided to get drunk as a skunk and hang out on the balcony. Glad I did because I found myself amongst some of the bands I grew up with: One Night Only, You Me At Six, Mcfly, The Blackout, The Saturdays (ok except the last one). Too many bands in one room for me to handle! Such a fun night though, now i'm just waiting for memories to come back to me so I can write a review of some sort...
