The Enemy + Kid British - Brixton Academy, London (11/ 04/ 09)
Brixton Academy was packed to the rafters tonight as London eagerly
awaited the arrival of NME favourites, The Enemy.
There were two support acts, one of which was Kid British; a young,
funky, four-piece outfit whose blend of styles has seen them compared
to a vast array of different artists including Madness, Blur, The
Streets and The Specials... although to be honest they don’t really
sound like any of them, perhaps why critics are struggling to pin them
to a particular genre?
A self confessed product of the iPod generation, Kid British stand out
because of the catchy tunes, edgy lyrics and cheeky image that sets
them apart from everything else around at the moment. They are indie
pop with a hint of rude boy charm and a joy to watch live. Their
current single Sunny Day is a brilliant crowd pleaser which you are
sure to hear a lot more of.
By the time The Enemy arrived, the crowd were more than ready to
welcome them, and not a band to disappoint, they put on a fantastic
performance. They kicked off with an impressive light show,
displaying the names of all the cities they’re touring on a video
board high above the stage and the crowd went crazy when London popped
up. In came the crashing drums and red hot guitars, up got the people
in the balconies and on went the show.
As well as latest single No Time For Tears, the band played a host of
older tracks including Away From Here which sent hundreds of plastic
cups flying as everybody bounced around singing at the top of their
lungs. There were more chilled out moments with songs like Sing When
You’re In Love but generally the tempo was upbeat as the band, famous
for their energy rattled through their set.
There was an encore, much to the delight of everybody (except security
who had trouble battling with barrier hoppers in the front row) and
then, despite the fans’ screams for more, it was over, all too soon.
An exceptional night though and no doubt a brilliant start to the
tour!
