Written by Ryan Atkinson | Monday, May 5, 2008 | Comment on this article | + Share
Going, again, to see We Are Scientists, I couldn’t help but wonder what, if anything, would have changed from the last time. It seems unavoidable that there will be certain changes in musical style and stage presence with the much-publicised recent line-up change. With this in mind, as I walked through the doors and the Carling Academy Birmingham, I was carrying with me a curious interest and anticipation.
When the support band, Oxford Collapse, hit the stage, after a few minutes my foot is tapping along to the enjoyable rhythms emanating from a band that claim We Are Scientists used to support them. It has to be said they play very tight, and as a three piece they manage to get a surprising amount of excitement into their music with distinct patterns. Yet, after a few songs, I cant help but feel let down by the promising start. That dreaded word, samey, springs to mind. It soon becomes evident that despite their obvious skill with the instruments, and their enjoyable banter with the crowd; as a band they have all the musical diversity of a new born child. By the end of the set, I’m afraid to say that if it hadn’t been for the amusing interludes, I would not have been able to tell where one song ended, and the next one started- not once. They fail to impress beyond a polite interest.
After being accosted by one of the many, cunning, and deeply annoying ‘street teamers’ that infest Birmingham Academy, I find out with interest that WAS are offering a special deal this gig. You can pre-order, before the gig, one of 1000 copies of a live recording of this gig. What’s more, you can take it home tonight. It’s certainly a nice idea, and one I’ve never encountered before. It leaves me wondering, WAS are certainly still expecting to impress; man down.
A lot has stayed the same about WAS- The same minimal set, the same varied age of fans, the same ticket prices, the same hilarious banter. Yet a lot has also changed, and they excel. How is it that a band, missing a key forming member, can come back for a tour and be even better than before. It can’t be that the previous member was holding them back, yet Keith and Chris seem to thrive in the challenge. Keith, with his trademark darting about the stage in a fit of dancing with a wide grin across his face, and Chris with his calm, controlled, yet obvious delight in playing, once more, to a large appreciative audience manage to fit countless songs into their one and a half hour set. Some old, some new, but all better than I have ever heard them before. Supported by a new drummer and a synth player, they weave their way between well received WAS classics, to more recent ones I have never heard from their new album, towards the epic Great Escape finish.
After deafening applause, I leave the hilarious and impressive gig, once again safe in the knowledge that Keith and Chris will continue to push themselves to achieve their continuous and unique blend of comedy and music at many gigs to come. We Were Scientists are a great success.
