TV on the Radio @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Originally uploaded by ultrahi.
Last night I was lucky enough to see the excellent TV on the Radio at Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Apparently I was luckier than I knew, as tickets sold out in three hours – thanks for the early warning TVOTR mailing list! Although I’m unlikely to beat the awesome first time I saw them in the back room of Union Pool, I have to say that last night’s gig was the second best – and that’s high praise indeed. The guys were rocking! Previous gigs had felt a bit like they weren’t comfortable on stage, but last night they owned it and offered us a mix of high energy versions of their rock out songs, and soulful introspection in spades where needed.
As usual Dave Sitek hid out back with Gerald and Jaleel – as Kyp and Tunde worked the front of the stage. Kyp’s usually epic afro was only at half mast, but the bushiness of his beard more than made up for it. Together they prowled the stage, after Kyp’s sit down opposite Dave for an opening intro to Young Liars – a great way to start. The set list ran the gamut of all their albums, with plenty of crowd pleasers such as Wolf Like Me. The highlight had to be the finale – a techno tinged version of Staring at the Sun. What could be better? Other than being back in Union Pool, of course.