Friday 10 July 2009

Support:
Reverend And The Makers

Fresh from their first support slots for Oasis at Wembley Stadium, Reverend And The Makers and The Enemy took to Somerset House to play a gig for the Summer Series. The picturesque courtyard filled up slowly as gig-goers filed out of work and onto the Strand, before heading straight for the bar. The crowd was fairly small as the first act, Jersey Budd, came on stage but he still managed to stir up a decent reception. Unfortunately I’ve seen him performing before and my opinion of the Leicester singer/songwriter hasn’t changed. Middle of the road American-style rock that wouldn’t be out of place on Radio 1. Fairly bland.

Luckily Reverend And The Makers played a rollicking 40 minute set that got the whole place dancing and put a smile back on my face. The cider-swigging crowd were in high spirits as they played a selection of hits and tracks from their forthcoming album, including the new single ‘Silence Is Talking’. Jon McClure also seemed to be enjoying himself as he jogged around the stage and encouraged the crowd to “F**k the BNP”. I think their set-closer, ‘He Said He Loved Me’, fell a bit short of my expectations though. It doesn’t seem to pack as much punch live as it does on the recorded version.

By the time The Enemy took to the stage at 10pm, the courtyard was heaving with excited fans. They opened with ‘Had Enough’ which sent the crowd wild and continued to play a frenzied 45 minute set which comprised mostly of songs from their debut album. There were a few slower songs in the form of ‘Happy Birthday Jane’ and ‘Sing When You’re In Love’, but for the most part it was a loud, fast-paced set which seemed to suit the audience just fine. Just before the final song, Tom proclaimed it was the best gig they had ever played and judging by the happy faces I would say the audience agreed wholeheartedly.