29 November 2012 (gig)
02 December 2012
Ben Howard flew under my radar, but according to my accompanying friends to tonight's gig at Brixton Academy he was trending on Twitter lately. Well you know you've made it when you're trending on Twitter, and also when you can make hundreds of teenage girls scream like banshees.
Howard's style is indie rock, in the vein of James Vincent McMorrow, but with emphasis on rocking out with post-rock tendencies, assaulting his guitar with a vengeance. The extended musical interludes were a highlight, and I was most impressed by the female band member who seemed to alternate between instruments such as the bass guitar to the drums. Unfortunately I didn't catch her name and can't find it online, but kudos to you!
The crowd seemed to be made up mostly of teenage girls, and it was disconcerting that their loud and quite frankly obnoxious presence somehow diminished the event. Screaming whenever Ben sat down, screaming when he drank water, and yes screaming when he plucked guitar strings.
Ah, the disadvantages of being talented and popular. Ben's latest album, Every Kingdom, is available now and worth checking out. Try not to scream too loudly.
