Alabama Shakes decamped in London last week for their first ever stretch of UK dates, three consecutive sold out nights at the venue that launched The White Stripes in 2001, Tufnell Park’s legendary Boston Arms. Tickets have been like gold dust for this residency and with such celebrities in attendance as Hollywood A-Lister Russell Crowe, Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker, Suede’s Bret Anderson and BBC Sound Of 2012 winner Michael Kiwanuka coupled with Arctic Monkeys front man Alex Turner and Chef Jamie Oliver Tweeting their love for them online its not hard to see why. LondOnTheInside were lucky enough to get a couple and check out if all the hype has been justified.
As they enter the stage the crowd erupts as if U2 were in front of them, cheering the band on as they roll into opener ‘Going To The Party’. Immediately we are blow away at just how good Britney Howard’s voice is. We’d heard the self titled EP released through Rough Trade last year and a seen a series of online videos but live it is something else, evoking such raw power, soul and emotion with every syllable. We’ve heard voices of this stature before on record, the likes of Aretha Franklin, Etta James and Marvin Gaye but few people can see they have seen something this good live, a star is born here tonight. Backing up Howard the band, (‘The Boys’ as she calls them), have crafted a selection of well written catchy tunes covering a range of genres; there is elements of country, soul, rock ‘n’ roll and gospel which when added together really work to create something unique. We are treated to all tracks from the bands aforementioned EP including ‘Hold On’, ‘On Your Way’ and ‘I Found You’ but the highlight really comes in the form of set closer ‘You Ain’t Alone’, this slow burning melody reminds us of some of the greats – Sam Cooke or Joe Tex – and has a climax worthy of any legend. They use the stop/start technique to its full potential and tease the audience by elongating the gaps before bursting back into the track.
Alabama Shakes rise to fame has been fast and with a date already on sale at Brixton Electric looks like it will continue to snowball. Expect to see these guys play a big part in this years festivals and following the release of their debut album (April 9th) play some big shows toward the end of the year. Don’t be surprised if these guys catch up to the likes of The Black Keys and Kings Of Leon before long. Quite Simply they are going to be huge.
Alabama Shakes Played:
Going to the Party
Hold On
Always Alright
I Found You
Rise to the Sun
Hang Loose
Boys and Girls
Be Mine
The Crunge/Hurricane Strut
Mama
Making Me Itch
Heavy Chevy
You Ain’t Alone
Encore:
I Ain’t The Same No More
On Your Way
Heat Lightning