Birds of Tokyo, The Medics @The Hi-Fi Bar (10/09/11)

Thu 15th Sep, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Birds of Tokyo’s last tour of the year is somewhat of a victory lap for a huge album that has seen the band graduate to stadium rockers. In light of this the closer tour as the name suggests is a return to much smaller venues and upon first entering the Hi-Fi bar this is made glaringly obvious.

Even before support band The Medics play the room is cramped and there is no doubt this is a sell out. Playing to an almost capacity room The Medics rip through a set of swelling indie rock layered with sweet silky vocals. Driving the band is drummer Jhindu Lawrie who powers through the set with absolute precision before attempting to climb the PA system and screaming at the crowd during the bands manic closer.

Half an hour later and it’s time for the main event. Birds of Tokyo enter to a full house of very enthusiastic fans and start their set rather oddly with a very bare version of Broken Bones but a vocal crowd sing along really does make it work. Ian Kenny’s signature pipes are in fine form as the front man struts his stuff in his own unique and almost awkward way.

The band tears through a set of old and new all of which seems to please the receptive crowd. Set highlights include a brutal rendition of Desperate and the truly epic The Gap. There is only really one thing the band can be faulted on and that is perhaps an overuse of piano on the older, completely guitar driven songs. Tracks like Wayside would have benefited from simply turning the guitar to 11 and giving a more true to the recording rendition, rather than adding piano parts.

These additions are more indicative of the band’s sound on the latest album, which is also their most successful, and in the scheme of things it’s not a huge blight on the set. Finishing their encore with crossover hit Plans has the crowd in complete sing along mode. It is a fitting end to a great set.