By Joanna Orland
I will be honest — I am not overly familiar with the musical repertoire of …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. This doesn’t really matter when seeing a band of their calibre live on stage. Their sound is overpowering, their musicianship skills highly refined, and they are God-like musical figures in a world filled with amateurish acts (support band Rival Schools — I am talking to you!).
I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Having listened to a few of their tunes recently (and about 15 years ago?), I don’t think this could have prepared me for what emerged onto the stage. The bassist was the first to walk out, donned in a white suit, attention-commanding from the start. The rest of the band followed suit and my mind was blown. Their sound is so rich and full, they are super-passionate about their songs, they dominate the room and they love what they do! I rarely enjoy gigs of bands that I can’t recognize most songs of, but this is a rare exception and a gem of a treat! Never have I seen a lead singer/guitarist stage dive into a crowd while still playing guitar that rivals Jimmy Hendrix. Nor have I ever seen a musician throw a perfectly good guitar into the crowd at the end of a set! I bet the crowd are STILL fighting over that one. Class!
Anyway, whether or not you like or know them on album, this is irrelevant. If you get the chance to see them live, do it. You will not regret it, and you may even come out of it one guitar richer!
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…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
Islington Academy, London
April 19, 2011