A few saturdays ago in the early evening, young London indie band Bombay Bicycle Club took to the stage in a packed and sweaty Pure Groove Records to shake loose the winter blues on this sunny Record Store Day. Playing an acoustic set in which they brought out a couple of B-sides, some tracks off the new, all-acoustic album and a few old favourites, Jack, Jamie and co came on armed with Banjos, Mandolins, Acoustic Guitars and Brushed Drums before launching into an interesting rework of recent single 'Evening/Morning', with that infectious guitar riff sounding even more impressive with the unmistakable twang made ubiquitous today by Marcus Mumford’s men.
They later treated the crowd to stripped-down renditions of 'Dust on the Ground' and 'Always Like This', both of which inspired mass sing-alongs, but it was with the previews of their forthcoming sophomore record which were most fascinating, especially early highlight 'Rinse Me Down' and the bright 'Ivy and Gold', throughout which the crowd remained reverently silent, in awe of one of the tightest bands working today. Their harmonised guitar melodies and Steadman’s odd bluesy voice sound fantastic in this shop, especially on quieter tracks like recent acoustic b-side 'Jewel' and early song 'You Already Know', which they finish with, being joined onstage by a female singer who adds another layer of delicacy to their perfectly-crafted pop songs.
Bombay Bicycle Club is constantly impressive live, having proven their worth with their fantastic album 'I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose' and a recent show-stealing slot on the NME Awards tour supporting the Maccabees. This small show, attended by dedicated fans, braving the heat (and in one case, fainting) to hear these new tracks, has further showcased their prowess in a live environment. While their sound has dramatically changed instrumentally for this special show, they remain one of the best bands around at the moment and their next record, albeit radically different, will deserve to be played and replayed throughout the year.
Bombay Bicycle Club’s new acoustic LP: ‘Flaws’ is due out in July
Setlist:
Evening/Morning
Rinse Me Down
Dust on the Ground
Magnet
Jewel
Leaving Blues
Ivy and Gold
Always Like This
You Already Know
Written by: Emmett Cruddas
Edited by: Joe Thornalley
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