The Gaslight Anthem capture an oddball crowd. Both of their
shows at London’s (nicely carpeted) Troxy venue this weekend pull in pierced punk
rockers, long-haired thrashers (read:
me) and, most prominently, those looking to replicate the band’s care-free New
Jersey good looks. And yet this is a band with little in the way of strained
solos and ballsy riffs, begging the question of just how they’ve gathered such
a varied following. But under the spell of Brian Fallon’s all-American vocals the
answer becomes clear as everyone seemingly gels into one category of happy,
bouncy youngsters looking to have a good time and sing their hearts out.
Both nights carry an overwhelmingly cheery tone, leaning
heavily on the band’s popular second album, The ’59 Sound’ as well as last year’s
Handwritten, which is looking to build a similar legacy. They may walk on to a
rocking riff over the speakers, but when the chords to either Spirit of Jazz or
High Lonesome (opening the first and second night respectively) melt into the
room’s airspace the atmosphere turns to that of giddy teenagers. There is no
sorrow in Gaslight’s work, no anger or regret, even in the heartfelt ballads
that punctuate every four or five songs. They’re a band that reflect their
origins through and through, often evoking Springsteen and Bon Jovi (minus the
cheese).
Handwritten’s sharp, catchy pop rock tunes stand tall above
most of the setlist. The album’s opening track, 45, is a tremendously energetic
twanger of a song, practically demands audience participation with its lung-emptying
chorus rattling ear drums and murdering leg muscles. But it’s the tense and
powerful Keepsake that provides the most memories, closing out the first set of
both nights, leading straight on from the feel-good Great Expectations. It’s
Fallon’s most vocally-demanding track and just about the only song in either
set that’s possible to air guitar to.
American Slang, the atmospheric third album, offers up fewer
tracks (though still plenty more than debut Sink or Swim), though the slow
going She Loves You certainly makes you glad they haven’t forgotten about it.
And while the rest of the encore admittedly meanders a little with some less
memorable tracks thrown in, it all builds to a fantastic performance of
Backseat on both nights. This is a song that was practically made for saving
until last, with a final burst of ‘wall of sound’ splendour meeting a smile-rendering
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking for tag from Fallon.
Fallon himself can never quite hide his ambitions to follow
in Eddie Vedder’s footsteps, offering semi-awkward banter between every few
songs. He even calls a heckler onto stage to play his guitar on the second
night, but defuses any ill-will with laughter and smiles.
Ultimately the band could do with shaving just a song or two
from the 20+ sets, but they’re a group that has, through constant touring,
perfected their craft to bring a feel good evening to a stream of faithful
fans.
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