Gig review: Vampire Weekend at Brixton Academy

It'd be reasonable to assume that by going to see a band for the fourth time, you'd have a general idea of what to expect. Yet everytime I see Vampire Weekend, there is always something new about them that I seem to have completely missed before that makes the performance that little bit better for me.

Tuesday at Brixton was no different. The first surprise came before the band even picked up their instruments, dancing their way on the stage to early 90s dance classic 'Hear the Drummer'; about as far removed from their usual style as if Slash had walked on stage and played Oxford Comma with them. Chandeliers hanging above the stage were resonant of the decadent preppiness that was apparent on their debut release, but set opener White Sky automatically put a dampener on any thoughts that their live set may not have made the transition that their second album demonstrated they had. Launching their African-based beats and Koenig's yelps on the audience from the get-go, the band were evidently pleased to be there and the energy they put into their performance was both endearing and enthralling. Whilst some musicians stand stock still on stage in order to preserve their 'cool' persona, the Vampire Weekend boys refreshingly danced as if nobody was watching, which couldn't have been further from the truth.

Whereas a lot of groups that use additional musicians on their studio recordings will simply play a pre-recorded backing track or ignore this aspect of the song altogether during a live show, it was nice to see Vampire Weekend bring three violinists to accompany them onstage, especially when these instruments play such an integral role in the composition of the music as a whole. There's no doubt about it, the VW boys are wholesomely charming and lead singer Ezra Koenig who has decidely grown in confidence since their last UK tour, certainly uses this to the band's advantage. Encouraging the audience to 'pop their fists' in time to the song if they felt the inclination to do so, and trying to start a sing-a-long certainly makes you feel more involved and as a result you want the entire thing to run smoothly so as not to ruin your night as well as the band's.

Despite the impressive progression the band displayed on their second album, the biggest cheers of the night were reserved for first album classics A-Punk and Oxford Comma; though not even pop-chameleon Madonna can escape her early hits so it's hardly entirely surprising. Whilst bands such as Coldplay and Keane tend to face ridicule for being well educated and well dressed, VW have avoided such animosity by playing along with it. Gracing the stage in boat shoes demonstrates a sense of innocence and mirth that should be admired, and combining this with the fact that other indie bands mixing in tribal beats to their records are currently few and far between, it makes it rather difficult to do anything but be drawn helplessly to their middle class magnetism.

http://www.vampireweekend.com/