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Live reviews

After a bad start to the evening - public transport, rain and a massive queue - Marina’s

start to her Burger Queen tour is better than expected. Full of energy and what appears

to be genuine glee to be in dreary Portsmouth she bounds on the stage. We are treated to

an array of outfits throughout the night, from an elaborate gaga style headdress to a full

on American jock get up. A+ for effort, but you wouldn’t know it from the Shaun-of-the-

deadesque response from the crowd. Oh No!, a quirky indie pop number which was performed

with particular ferocity, and her short but sweet encore of Hollywood were the ones that

finally got the crowd interested. The encore is too little too late, however, and the songs

are interchangeable; it’s a shame that the fairly generic synth-pop couldn’t live up to

her big outfits and big effort.

Marina and the Diamonds

The crowd grew as the three support bands revved up the energy, and by the time Little

Comets came on – nearly two-and-a-half hours later – the place was buzzing with anticipa-

tion. The support acts mingled in with the crowd of hundreds of indie kids to witness the

performance of possibly the most underrated indie/alternative band of 2010. The epitomy of

British-indie, lead-singer Robert Coles sported a funky granddad jumper; and, obviously,

no indie band could be complete without a checked shirt, tattoos – and, it would appear,

a fluorescent orange bobble hat. The band engaged with the audience with their witty New-

castle banter in-between crowd pleasers such as Joanna, Isles and One Night In October,

resulting in a pounding dancefloor, and finishing fittingly with This One’s for Dancing -

sending the teenagers into a frenzy of jumping spasms. The unusual inclusion of maracas,

tambourines and saucepans, all hung up by a string-line over the stage, was the icing of

the performance. The Joiners proves the theory that the smallest venues are the best for

gigs; the intimate atmosphere, combined with an incredible sound and light system, and

pure, quality music meant for a night to remember.

Little Comets

Marina and the Diamonds: photograph by Georgia Weaving

Little Comets: courtesy of Andrea vail, Flikr

Kings of Leon: courtesy of Dave Hogan, Getty Images

Taylor Swift: photograph by Bo Streeter

Written by Katie Lansdowne

Album reviews

19

The Kings of Leon have gone back to their roots for their fifth studio album, Come Around

Sundown, an album that really epitomises who they are as a band. The album is surprisingly

different from cult-following album Only By The Night (2008); their focus is back on their

loyal, older fan-base as reflected through the vintage sound of the album, reminiscent of

Youth and Young Manhood (2003). The chilled-out vibe is transcended through the hypnotic

lyrics and Caleb’s trademark vocals. First single release Radioactive reintroduces us to

their mellow southern-rock spirit. The soft-rock vocals apparent in songs such as Pyro

contrast with get-up-and-go tunes like Mary and Pony Up, whilst Pickup Truck combines

great vocals and lyrics with a phenomenon bass. Their ability to create pure and astound-

ingly raw records time-after-time gives them, and this album, an edge above any others.

Taylor Swift is back with her third album Speak Now, a collection of songs that almost

read like Taylor’s personal diary. She has the gift of story-telling, as demonstrated

throughout the album; she wrote every song without the aid of co-writers, something quite

rare in pop music today. The lyrics are so emotive and heart-felt that it is hard not

to be enchanted by them. Combined with Taylor’s sweet, melodic voice, I am unashamedly a

Swift-convert. This may be guilty-pleasure listening, but it is in no way ‘just another

pop album’. The album is much the same style as her previous albums when you consider

the themes - love, teenage angst, growing up - but this time round, Swift has put a edgy

spin on it, showing that her confidence as an artist has rocketed. Better than Revenge and

Haunted show her variety as an artist, her voice sounding almost Hayley Williams/Kelly

Clarkson-esque. The Swift style we are used to comes out in first single release Mine, Dear

John and Last Kiss in particular. Taylor is out to prove herself to everyone, including

Kanye West after ‘that’ VMA’s incident, with hit-back tunes like Mean and Innocent. If

you think you know Taylor Swift - think again.

Kings of Leon

Taylor Swift