The First / Thousand Autumns / Jamie Lenman [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 11/10/13]
Opinion
Jamie Lenman (AKA Radu The Handsome)
If you had been scanning the Internet for a decent gig to head down to last night, come across the listing for this show, and then Googled the name of opening band Radu The Handsome, you wouldn’t have found anything to do with music (apart from the listing for this gig). You would, however, have found a ton of references to Vlad the Impaler’s allegedly homosexual brother, and perhaps his appearance in an obscure Doctor Who audio story. From this information you might have deduced that this band are a bit into Doctor Who, and might even suspect – rightly – that Radu the Handsome are not a real band at all, but Doctor Who illustrator and ex-Reuben frontman Jamie Lenman and his new band performing under a pseudonym.
But let’s be honest, that’s pretty unlikely.
Like all the best mystery stories, it only really makes sense when it’s all over. For the small number of Reuben fans who did manage to catch wind of this secret set and hightail it down to Guildford’s best alt-music venue in time, it was an intense and somewhat emotional experience. Hearing Reuben classics No One Wins The War, Keep It To Yourself, and Shambles introduced as “covers” marked the evening as both the end of an era, and the beginning of a new and exciting one that continues to unfold right now; and the new songs (including Fizzy Blood, previously reviewed on The Musical Melting Pot here) work immensely well in a live environment, as you’d expect. Although there were a few mellow songs on offer, we mainly got kicked in our collective mouths with dense and heavy math-prog that brought to mind The Dillinger Escape Plan, with their onstage gymnastics replaced by waistcoats and elegant gentlemen’s grooming products. Top and timeless stage presence as well. I could say more, but really you need to get some tickets for Jamie Lenman’s upcoming tour and see it for yourself. (Tour links are available from Jamie’s Facebook page here)
Thousand Autumns
Although following Jamie Lenman is / was / will continue to be an unenviable position for any band to find themselves in, I thought Thousand Autumns did a good job. Their stage presence and image are pretty fucking good – they have the instruments, the hair, the looks, the tattoos, the amps, and the passion – but the vocals were consistently out of tune, which spoiled the melodic metal angle they were going for. The pitching did improve toward the end of their set, and overall I got the impression that this was a bit of an off night for these guys. But again, their stage presence and image are very good, and they kept the crowd’s attention; with some better vocals I think this set would have been fucking awesome.
The First
The First are a perfect band for a Friday night – nearly stadium-ready dance rock with an expert frontman, a general vibe that brought 30 Seconds To Mars to mind, flashy guitar moments (some tap-happy solos, a bit of over-the-neck showmanship), and an audience member brought onstage for a fun singalong. Fantastic songs and a tour-sharpened stage presence. Tight, polished, and professional. Really great stuff.
Links
Jamie Lenman: https://www.facebook.com/jamielenman
Radu The Handsome: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radu_cel_Frumos
Thousand Autumns: https://www.facebook.com/Thousandautumns
The First: https://www.facebook.com/thefirstuk
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