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Set List
Tour Dates
08/22/13 Portland, OR McMenamins Lola's
08/23/13 Seattle, WA Vera Project
08/25/13 San Francisco, CA Cafe Du Nord 08/26/13 Hollywood, CA Hotel Cafe Read More Little Comets, the trio from the U.K. are back with a second album Life Is Elsewhere (out now in their country, U.S. will have to wait a bit).
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The stage at Minneapolis’ 7th Street Entry (the 250-capacity room attached to First Avenue) is quite small. In the past, bands that are used to playing larger stages elsewhere have had to sacrifice some of their gear, lighting, and amps to accommodate, as a result.
In the case of Northeast England’s Little Comets, they decided to hang their percussion on a clothesline from the rafters, a first that I’d seen at this venue. Actually, it’s a practice the band has used at other venues, but it was a bit odd to see tambourines and shaker gourds just above their heads during their jangly hour-long set.
The UK band, anchored by brothers Rob and Mickey Coles, were in good spirits despite brief early technical issues (“sounds like the apocalypse is happening” singer Rob remarked), now midway through a short two-week coast-to-coast jaunt on their first proper U.S. tour, supporting the just released stateside “Life is Elsewhere” (Dualtone Records).
The band’s sound is a bit hard to define, which may help explain their departure from Columbia Records after their debut album, 2011’s “In Search of Elusive Little Comets” which wasn’t even released on these shores. The band preferred to do things more DIY, as opposed to record company pressures to do otherwise, which likely resulted in limited promotion outside of the UK, but the wait for US fans is now finally over. The foursome, rounded out by bassist Matt Hall and studio drummer Greenie, deftly blend a Newcastle sound of indie pop ingredients dashed with harmonies and ska/world beat undertones, similar in some ways to Vampire Weekend or The Police, though with more of a kitchen sink approach.
“This song is really difficult to play, so if we look dazed, it’s because we’re concentrating a lot”, singer Coles mentioned as the band stretched out early for ‘A Little Opus’, which transitioned seamlessly into ‘Bayonne’, also from the new record, then was followed by the dark but poignant ‘Violence Out Tonight’. The first album, though not available domestically, wasn’t ignored, with four songs represented in the set including their earliest song, ‘One Night in October’ and the catchy ‘Dancing Song’, which closed along with ‘In Blue Music We Trust’.
Because the band were driving to Denver for a radio appearance and gig the next day(!), the show ended relatively early, with the mostly respectful and full but not-too-full Monday night crowd yelling in vain for an encore. Little Comets is just getting started in the U.S., and proved with this 60 min. set that they’re a band to watch; blazing across the landscape, making us all take notice of what England and the rest of Europe are already aware of regarding this band’s potential.
In the case of Northeast England’s Little Comets, they decided to hang their percussion on a clothesline from the rafters, a first that I’d seen at this venue. Actually, it’s a practice the band has used at other venues, but it was a bit odd to see tambourines and shaker gourds just above their heads during their jangly hour-long set.
The UK band, anchored by brothers Rob and Mickey Coles, were in good spirits despite brief early technical issues (“sounds like the apocalypse is happening” singer Rob remarked), now midway through a short two-week coast-to-coast jaunt on their first proper U.S. tour, supporting the just released stateside “Life is Elsewhere” (Dualtone Records).
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Photo of Setlist
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“This song is really difficult to play, so if we look dazed, it’s because we’re concentrating a lot”, singer Coles mentioned as the band stretched out early for ‘A Little Opus’, which transitioned seamlessly into ‘Bayonne’, also from the new record, then was followed by the dark but poignant ‘Violence Out Tonight’. The first album, though not available domestically, wasn’t ignored, with four songs represented in the set including their earliest song, ‘One Night in October’ and the catchy ‘Dancing Song’, which closed along with ‘In Blue Music We Trust’.
Because the band were driving to Denver for a radio appearance and gig the next day(!), the show ended relatively early, with the mostly respectful and full but not-too-full Monday night crowd yelling in vain for an encore. Little Comets is just getting started in the U.S., and proved with this 60 min. set that they’re a band to watch; blazing across the landscape, making us all take notice of what England and the rest of Europe are already aware of regarding this band’s potential.
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Little Comets at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (08/19/13) |
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