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LIVE REVIEW Words and Photos by Sarah Thirtle
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The Wannadies The Wannadies are one of those bands that have one of those songs that stays, indelibly, in your head, forever. Infectious, heart warming, anthemic, bringing you and your mates together in one big huddle, jumping and singing at the top of your voices - "It's you...and me...always...and for-ever." It seems mind boggling then that a band that invokes this teen spirit, this exuberance, should be currently labelless in the UK. Bonkers. Well, The Wannadies are a band that refuse to die (?!), so they hit back with two sell out shows at London's Water Rats Theatre. They open with a couple of old favourties, and instantly the gathered crowd of Wannadies fans and adorers are singing and swaying, swept along by the energy of a band busy proving why they are loved so much. It's not long until Pars introduces the first of tonight's new songs. It's received with cheers. The band seem all of a sudden visibly relieved. They are truly in love with their songs, and love to have them loved by others. From here on in The Wannadies are as giddy teenagers. Adding cha cha cha's onto the end of songs, grinning and bounding around, Pars resembling a big haired jack-in-the-box. Another new song, Uri Geller, displays The Wannadies enduring gift for melody, but also shows that, with the major to minor chord progressions, there's a melancholy that underlies the lyrics of days in the summer sun. Skin, continuing the new material, again uses juxtapositions, of crunching guitars and smooth vocal harmonies, rallying up the senses while the ear tunes in to the song. For the audience, they really don't care if what they hear is an old favourite, or completely new and unheard. They react to each song with the open arms of someone welcoming home an old and cherished friend. Loved and trusted and missed. But, of course, with the opening notes of You and Me, which tonight is going to "rock more than normal" according to Pars, the crowd go ecstatic, singing each line of the song so loud the band almost gets lost. Hit sends them mental. So, all in all, this was a very successful return to Blighty for our favourite Swedes. I don't think it will be long until they'll be releasing records on these shores again. Reviews Archive: Laptop, Maroon 5, Guitar Vader, The Raveonettes, Dawn of the Replicants, Demo Workshops, The Jeevas, Mclusky, Alanis Morissette, The Leaves & Phantom Planet, The Breeders, Freeheat, The Hives, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Peter Yorn, Jason Mraz, Mary Guibert |
