The Maccabees, Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit - Buffalo Bar, London - Thursday 23rd August 2007

Second night in a row at the Buffalo Bar, this time for Rockfeedback's incredible Basement Club. Almost every decent British band of the past few years has played this club night, usually on their way up, but sometimes also when they are well-known. This time it was the turn of The Maccabees to play the role of conquering heroes in front of 150 sweaty, adoring fans. After what seemed like an age waiting outside, we were eventually let in, and Toby from Rockfeedback took a tenner from each of us. The venue was already pretty busy, but then it only takes about 30 people for that to be the case.

Support came from a band called Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit, who have recently been signed to Vertigo records. They played folky songs which reminded me at times of Willy Mason, but also (especially on the songs where the lead singer played the violin), of Irish folk bands that you see in pubs - and I mean that in a good way. They were also a bit like The Holloways, Larrikin Love, or the Rumble Strips, in that they had the air of a busking band. Many of the songs had singalong parts, and the band were certainly very successful in getting the crowd to play along. All in all, I thought they were pretty good - some of the songs sounded like great, and I'd quite like to see them again.

But the evening was really all about The Maccabees, playing here as a warmup for significantly bigger gigs at the Reading and Leeds Festivals over the weekend. Coming on stage to a chorus of shouts and cheers, they were hampered for the first couple of songs by a dodgy PA - which meant that the singer's voice couldn't be heard. When it finally started working OK, there was a big cheer, and an even bigger cheer when they immediately started playing Latchmere. Orlando was not wearing his hooded top for a change, so you actually got to see what he looks like; and Felix the guitarist was his usual engaging self.

All in all, their set was pretty riotous, given the extreme proximity of the band to the crowd. About Your Dress, X-Ray, First Love, and Lego all resulted in random limbs and bodies flying through the air, and the band even played a new song for the first time, which sounded like another fine example of what they do so well. As The Maccabees are clearly far, far too big for a venue like this, it was a real pleasure to see them so up close and personal, and to see the band milling around inside the bar before and after their set. Their album really is criminally underrated, full of great indie pop songs, and they really make you happy. Roll on the full UK tour in October, although seeing them in such an incredibly small venue can't be beaten.