Not having seen INTERPOL since a rather timid Glastonbury ’05 show, I have been looking forward to this gig no end. Also, no matter how many people slag this venue, Koko is one of my ballroom-like favourites.
Kicking off proceedings with a slow sultry plodding number, a new one off the forthcoming album ‘Pioneer To The Falls’, sounding crisp and distressed as ever, they definitely took the crowd by surprise.
The light show fizzing from a deep mauve to a sweeping sea blue, suddenly Obstacle 1 is dropped. Absolute mastery, the crowd eeking with delight. But it didn’t sound loud enough to me, perhaps because I was up in the 4th tier in my very own smoke house, great uninterrupted view though. If it’s good enough for Lamacq, it’s good enough for me.
Ploughing through tracks effortlessly and with precision, this is a band that could have 3 front men in their very own right, in Paul Banks (ex-Essex boy), Carlos D and Daniel Kessler. They each have there own unique and effective way of channelling there musical freedom and artistic licence. From the animated and almost rock around the clock swinging sixties style of Kessler, the concentrated, solemn guise of Banks and the charismatic and purposeful glare of Carlos D waving his bass neck to and fro like some sort of magic wand, very much in a thrust ‘n’ stance fashion.
They each appreciate and absorb the crowd in different ways, charming, nonchalant and humble. As for the set itself,‘Take You On A Cruise’ is just plain sailing into the next new track, ‘Mammoth’: a howling guitar over a militant drumming pace, class indeed, uber-cool and uber-professional.
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This should have been shown as lesson in mastery shown to bands who are actually shit i.e Razorlight et al. In a cliché ridden world: the instruments are their weapons, the music their arsenal.
Impeccable timing and sublime precision are king here tonight, all except one hitch when a bass amp blew, but, hey, the show must go on. ‘Slow Hands’ was a punchy reminder of how polished and potent their back catalogue remains. ‘The Heinrich Maneuver’ is their next single release, a lively number with a ‘Slow Hands’ vibe, with a choppy guitar riff and some great lyrics, as usual. “How are things on the West Coast, I hear your moving real fine, you wear those shoes like a dove”,observed Banks with poise and eminence.
A few of the older tracks sounded better here live than on record, the best example of this being ‘Stella Was A Diver And She Was Always Down’, it was rougher, bassier and more in your face than ever. This gig ripped up the rulebook and left a blue print all its' own that many bands will pore over but few will decipher successfully. It was fucking special and a naughty privilege to have been here.
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