After an enforced travel ban, during which I haven't been to America for 9 months, a Hold Steady gig was always going to make me nostalgic. As part of a short trip to the UK to play the End of the Road festival, they also managed to find time to squeeze in a London date - and it was a relatively small one, at Islington Academy. Knowing that when they are in London, they stay at the Jury's Inn around the corner from this venue, I couldn't help thinking that this played a big part in the choice of venue. I got into the venue just in time to see a bit of the support act, a guy called Nic Dawson Kelly. He played typical singer songwriter fare, leading with his guitar and some interesting sounding vocals. His voice didn't seem to be all that powerful or distinctive (although of course this could have been thanks to the sound), but a couple of the songs were interesting enough. Whilst his set was going on, the venue was slowly filling up with a few hundred balding men in their 30s or above - just the core audience for a Hold Steady gig then!
When the band arrived on stage, it was pretty obvious from the outset that they were very up for the gig, and were on very good form. Kicking off with Constructive Summer and Hot Soft Light, the venue became suitably hot and sweaty within five minutes of them starting the show - and of course, that was the way it all continued. Just what the doctor ordered. The band seemed to be having fun from beginning to end, so the gig became one large party, soundtracked by Hold Steady songs.
We also got to hear a couple of new songs in this set - a couple of which sounded really rather good indeed. Presumably this was a warmup for their festival set a couple of days later, but hopefully the new songs may mean there is a new album coming in the not too distant future. Good though the new stuff sounded, it was the old favourites that really sent the venue crazy, Your Little Hoodrat Friend in particular seeing bodies flying around at the front. As the encore drew to a close (including a rare treat of a rendition of How A Resurrection Really Feels - one of quite a few songs from Separation Sunday that were played), Craig Finn left us all with the words:
We're The Hold Steady, you're London, England, and we fucking love you.
On this showing, there is an increasing number of committed people that love this band too. This was a relatively small gig for them, but their fanbase seems to keep on growing in size and fervour. Quite justified it all is too, The Hold Steady on their day can put on a live show that few bands can top. This was one day where they were on incredible form, and it was a fantastic gig as a result.
Setlist: Constructive Summer / Hot Soft Light / Multitude of Casualties / Magazines / Our Whole Lives (NEW) / Sequestered in Memphis / The Swish / Massive Nights / Party Pit / Goin' On A Hike (NEW) / Stevie Nix / You Can Make Him Like You / Heaven (NEW) / Sweet Payne / Same Kooks / Separate Vacations (NEW) / Little Hoodrat Friend / Stay Positive / Slapped Actress. Encore: First Night / Stuck Between Stations / How A Ressurection Really Feels / Killer Parties.
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