Cold War Kids
The Forum
Friday, June 1st

We were happy to declare Robbers and Cowards album of the year back in March and we stand by that hyperbole. Deepest sympathies if you didn't see this show.

What to surmise first off about the Cold War Kids? That their bass player, kitted out in crowd pleasing Birthday Party t-shirt and long eared beanie, is wholesale insane. Mental-cakes. Flipping around like a fish in a fry-pan, sneaking cheeky pats on the head of singer Nathan Willett as he hunches over his keys, attempting to dutifully bang out that rollicking opening figure of that rollicking slice of genius, We Used to Vacation.

Next to surmise is that the crowd is filled with idiots who would rather put their back to the stage and yell noisily in the face of their friends, step on everyone in their path to get to the bar, or hold their camera in your face as they commit the entire show to memory stick. Third, that the venue will insist on leaving the house lights on for nearly the whole show. And fourth, that the lead guitar will intermittently drop out, often mid solo. But none of these things are going to make a dent in how ridiculously awesome CWK are live.

The vocals of Nathan Willett sound direct from dustbowl Americana Jesus tents of yore, and the flailing around onstage, stomp rock back-up yelps and howling, and a drummer who play the living crap out of his kit all contribute to the chaos that builds to nerve-wracking crescendos before falling into a hushed nothingness where snatches of lyrics still hang in the air.

But the band are more than a wiry bunch of barn storming, possessed shamans banging on wood blocks and cans out of time. Hospital Beds and the achingly tender God, Make Up Your Mind drew rapt attention and rapturous applause. And the not wholly original notion of killing the lights and shining torches on the crowd, seemed to work a treat - even if it has been done before, in a stadium with a searchlight by a much bigger band.

This music is weird. Beautiful and weird. Beautiful and weird and like nothing you've heard in your life. Possess it and be changed.