Live – Art Brut
“We’re an Art Brut tribute band. I’m Neddie Nargos” claimed Art Brut front man Eddie Argos somewhat unconvincingly as he took to the stage for an intimate secret gig at Camden’s Enterprise pub.
Playing under the not-too-hard-to-decipher “We Formed A Band” (the title of the band’s first single) the London five piece were back in town to debut material from their forthcoming album Brilliant! Tragic!
Fans were obviously keen to get a sneak listen of Art Brut’s fourth studio release; despite the show being announced only few days before via the band’s twitter feed, there was still a queue to get into the 100 capacity venue two songs into the set.
After getting the gig off to a rocking start with punchy renditions of early hits Formed A Band and My Little Brother, the art rockers were ready to unleash some new songs. If they were nervous there was no need to be – new offerings such as I Am the Psychic and Martin Kemp Welch Five-a-Side Football Rules (not, Eddie was keen to point out, about Spandau Ballet), have the catchy lyrics and sing-a-long choruses that Art Brut are known and loved for and soon had the crowd dancing like madmen. Unprofessional Wrestling – “ a song about clumsy sex!” – returned to a favoured topic for the famously confessional Argos, and happily stood alongside the band’s better known hits.
It wasn’t all new material – rewarded for their patience with the new and untested tracks, fans were treated to favourites from across Art Brut’s back catalogue including lively performances of Direct Hit and their 2005 single Emily Kane, updated with a new real-life happy ending.
The highlight of the night, however, was undoubtedly a ten minute long stream-of-conciousness version of Modern Art, which at one point saw Eddie crouched down in the middle of the audience, recounting a fantastical tale of a visit to an art gallery where he had a premonition of the gig (“I saw your face, and I saw your face…I didn’t see your face, you weren’t there”), before scrambling back on stage just in time for the chorus to kick in and the dancefloor to turn into heaving, sweaty mosh pit.
After they left the stage, the tiny room quickly emptied, which was unfortunate for the next two bands on the bill, but certainly a good sign for the success of Art Brut’s future endeavours.
