Back in October 2003, when Athlete last played at the UEA it was an incredible night. The South Londoners had taken a big step up between their first and second tours. From playing Norwich Arts Centre at the start of that year, they were propelled to venues four times as big over night and gained a hardcore group of fans along the way. A year on - and a number one album and a top five single later - I was interested to see if those same fans would still turn out or whether they had moved on to the next 'new' band. Warm-up sets Unfortunately before we found out, we had to make a trip to support band hell. First up, was possibly one of the most contrived, bland, insipid and truly dull bands I have seen, Oversol. I cannot fault Oversol on their musicianship but I can pick holes in their woeful song-writing. Just because you take a little from each popular band of the moment does not mean you will be successful. Tonight we have smatterings of Keane, Snow Patrol and, heaven help us, Travis which adds up to a painful 30 minutes. Iain Archer Next up was Iain Archer, formerly of Snow Patrol and the Reindeer Section. He was clearly more comfortable working the crowd and the stage than Oversol. Together with his band, he meandered through a set of slightly gravelly-voiced Snow Patrol-like B-sides. Good luck to both acts, but you need to stand out, not fit in. Overall, there is little to separate Iain and Oversol: both write straight-forward, middle-of-the-road indie rock tunes and plainly it ain't enough. Main set And so to the main event, Athlete. Walking on stage to a hero's welcome, the Deptford four-piece haven't lost an ounce of sparkle.  | | See the gig gallery for more pictures |
Athlete always look like they are having fun and give 110 per cent. The set was a measured mix of both their albums - the Mercury Award-nominated Vehicles And Animals and their January offering, Tourist. Vehicles And Animals was characterised by its sing-along melodies, and the band have managed to carry over part of their trademark formula to their second album with both Modern Mafia and Tourist being standout tracks live. You couldn't help but think this was a band on top of their game who were taking time to savour the moment. Front man Joel Pott has soared in confidence and had an easy rapport with the crowd, chattering away throughout. Hardcore fans And the hardcore fans are still there, lining the front row and screaming every word back at the stage. However, having clocked up an anthemic top five hit with Wires, there are now clusters of people chatting while they wait to hear the only song they know. Ultimately, this means the subtle poignancy of some tracks is lost in the unsettling witterings of lager-addled gig-goers. Although the sellout crowd was delighted to clap eyes on the band, Athlete are too big to play the UEA now. This was crystallized with their rousing rendition of Wires, which brought their main set to an adrenalin-pumping close. They have moved up the ladder and are now ready for the arenas, festival fields and cavernous halls. Magical encore After finishing their set with a song that was hard to top, Athlete still gave a magical encore of El Salvador and a striking but pared down version of Beautiful. If they can pull off performances which brim with the same energy as tonight's, then they will rule the festivals they're booked in for this year. Have a great run this summer, fellas. - Athlete played the UEA in Norwich on Tuesday 8 March 2005.
|
| 
