Sweat, sweat and sweat. Getintothis’ Liam Flanders swims in sweat.
Ten points for effort go to The Gay Blades.
Coming on first to a fledgling crowd of almost pre-pubescent Cage The Elephant devotees is no enviable task but a task that they duly took to with some vigor.
The two-piece from Brooklyn NY played their hearts out regardless of audience reaction.
Lead singer Clark Westfield did his upmost to get the crowd into gig mode, recruiting a mop-haired fan to lead the crowd in smashing their “cigarette stained hands together harder than they have ever done“.
Star of the show was undoubtedly drummer Puppy Mills who beat the living daylights out of the skins.
Turns out they are two cool guys to boot, more than happy for a chat and photo after the gig admitting their biggest worry was “the crowd not knowing who the fuck we are“.
It’s safe to say the majority of this crowd couldn’t care less who any of the bands were if they weren’t Cage The Elephant.
Gay Blades: O Shot
Without doubt the highlight of the night was the performance from Austin, Texans, White Denim.
A sentiment that may not have been echoed by the whole of the O2 Academy audience but one that the music fans present will surely be in agreement with.
It was another show stealing performance from a drummer. I found it hard to cast my eyes away from Joshua Block’s frantic driving rhythm; he was at it like a banshee on crack.
Constantly switching up styles and tempo’s, White Denim are music chameleons.
Singer James Petralli lost a stone in sweat, his vocal was perfectly executed and guitar frantic. In my humble opinion, this band has set the standard for Liverpool sound city.
Gay Blades: O Shot
White Denim: Shake Shake Shake
Cage The Elephant
Enter the top billed band with an army of adoring fans squirming to their every breath, movement and heartbeat.
Cage The Elephant are wound-up like a wasp in a coke can, they work the whole stage taking out camera equipment in the process.
They had the crowd in the palm of their hands, the lank hair of fans crammed to the front rail whipping beads of sweat across the arena.
The band from Kentucky dropped in a couple of tracks from their new album that led the crowd astray at times, but they glued the whole thing together with their powerhouse singles from their hugely popular debut album.
Cage The Elephant: In One Ear
Cage The Elephant backstage at the O2 Academy
Photos by Liverpool Sound City chief photographer Mark McNulty
