REVIEW: Athlete at The Picturedrome
Fifty per cent of the reason people go to watch a gig is the spectacle. Fifty per cent. That's half the ticket price.
Athlete, who played at The Picturedrome, Northampton, have obviously have never heard of this principle.
I do like Athlete's music, particularly their first album.
They're obviously talented musicians.
On the night even the replacement bass player, Jonny Pilcher, was pretty good and Joel Potts' hit song Wires, an undeniably beautiful song, was played brilliantly and movingly during the encore.
They were just seemingly incapable of doing anything exciting.
There was no showboating, no swagger, not even a solitary flashing light.
Potts wore a tucked-in checked shirt.
They were a rock bland.
Pipers at the gates of yawn.
I know probably everyone at the gig would say they enjoyed themselves.
The hall was packed out with fans singing almost every word of their songs including the pretty good new one Black Swan Song.
But I think it's fair to say they weren't breathless with excitement.
One of the main points of rock stars is to do all those things we can't.
To be the person we want to be if the rules didn't apply.
It pains me to say it but, after seeing them live, I can't imagine whose unattainable fantasy is Athlete.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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