More than a smash hit
Gnarls Barkley were the first major name on the line-up for the third day of the O2 Wireless Festival, a bill very much led by dance acts with Massive Attack and DJ Shadow headlining.
A three-piece string section and army of percussion players backed the duo; they certainly make the effort to translate their well-constructed electronic album onto the live stage.
Danger Mouse, who's real name is actually Brian if you're interested, spent the set hopping between keyboard, deks and samplers. Meanwhile Cee Lo executed his vocals with a strength and power you'd expect from the great soul singer which he is.
New single 'Smiley Faces' was well received, but you just got the feeling the crowd were waiting for one moment only. Sensibly 'Crazy' came near the end of the set, and when it did it was definitely one of the high points of the day.
You couldn't help but be amused by the mass migration away from the stage as the biggest record of 2006 reached it's conclusion. Maybe the crowd were aware that the queues for the bar and bog could get lengthy, but you do have to wonder whether this song is going to become an albatross for Gnarls Barkley. It is more likely to be a problem at festivals, as for their own shows at least the fans will have gone to see them perform the whole album rather than the one world-wide smash hit single.
Gnarls Barkley have a solid set of songs, but it's hard not to allow 'Crazy' to dominate the mind whenever you think about them.