AWOLNATION Riot At The Roundhouse
When 2012's Rock Sound Riot Tour was announced with Billy Talent as headliners, a whole generation of alt-rockers surged to buy tickets to get a piece. After a whole twenty years in the game (with ten of those bringing them to the UK) their place at the top of the bill meant the glorious chaos was already inevitable. Elsewhere, the inclusion of those dapper scamps Don Broco brought a confident sense of style and a positive way to open the show. But what of AWOLNATION? Taking the prime support slot on this prolific tour meant they must be gifted with something special and it turned out to be something so vast that it kinda defies description.
From the very first moment that they stepped out on stage, AWOLNATION looked completely at home on the stage of Camden's 5,000 capacity Roundhouse. That's no mean feat. Undoubtedly it came from the instant sense of presence that was as explosive as it was impressive- think Van Halen in the Jump video. Okay, maybe not the greatest example but there was still flashing lights, shock of blonde hair and something in the pulsating energy that demanded full attention. What's more, the signature synth and beefy bass-lines resulted in facial expressions akin to when one might feel a bit excited in their pants. Grimaces of ecstasy dotted the room as the fuzzing weight of Sail sounded particularly delicious in the acoustics of the rather unsurprisingly round, venue.
What you may have noticed from what we've touched on so far is that there was a fair bit of genre-dabbling going on. Mastermind Aaron Bruno is the guy that looks a little like Kurt Cobain, performing songs he wrote with Beck in mind (see Dirty Filthy Soul for sure), whilst displaying whispers of classic rock influence and beats to keep Skrillex fans happy. Even then we've barely scratched the surface. As the set progressed the impact of the powerful feel of funk and groove in their tunes really came into play- particularly in numbers like Kill Your Heroes and Not Your Fault; all while whipping an obliging crowd up into a frenzy of movement.
There wasn't a single languid moment with AWOLNATION on stage, resulting in one support set that was thoroughly smashed.