Shepherd’s Bush has its on and off nights soundwise, and luckily today it’s just about getting away with it.
Sadly, Punktastic just missed out on GroupLove, but the crowd seemed to be lapping up the swiftly rising band despite not being particularly familiar with the songs for the most. SUMMER CAMP’s [3.5/5] odd backdrops and borderline twee male/female vocal trade-offs are well received, and if the band dig in and find something unique to set them apart from the swarm, there’s plenty for them to look forward to.
As for the main event, well – the from-Wales-but-actually-not-Welsh LOS CAMPESINOS![4/5/5] have really, really come far in the last few years.
Firmly experienced and probably a little sick of the toilet scene, the name’s been bubbling under the surface and press-repped for a while, but tonight’s headline set at Shepherd’s Bush really is a sign of the long overdue birthing of the band into the public consciousness. The 8 strong troop are now seemingly fully evolved from the alt-Indie scene gems they were, into a (dare we say it) popular band, and it’s no mean feat to be doing something interesting and daring with music instead of resigning to pouring your talent into whatever mould you’re suitable for. Los Campesinos! deserve the adoration of the kids filling this, and far bigger rooms hopefully to come.
It’s clearly going to be one of the evenings that the band will remember for a long time, and it’s really refreshing to see a crowd that gives a shit and genuinely just feels happy to see the band take on such a big room. The set list is nigh on flawless, and the tracks from last full-length ‘Romance is Boring’ sound huge. There’s a comraderie between Los Campesinos! and their fans, and it’s nothing but spectacular to watch it make so much sense on such a scale.