A sold-out and devoted Academy confirmed The Gaslight Anthem’s rise to the big leagues following the success of their latest LP Handwritten, which reached #2 on the Albums chart last summer. Over their four studio albums spanning merely five years, they have gradually nurtured their intense if slightly workmanlike brand of folk/punk/Americana into something much more anthemic, varied and with broader commercial appeal without compromising their identity and essence. By way of illustrating this evolution, the evening’s set is drawn from each of their albums in roughly equal proportion. Frontman Brian Fallon’s banter with the rest of the band neatly breaks up an intense set of twenty-five songs. Van Halen’s cheesy ‘80s classic ‘Jump’ provides the walk-on music before ‘High Lonesome’ is tackled headlong.
The older songs, taken from Sink Or Swim and The ’59 Sound, are replicated live in a punishingly loud fashion with an almost straight-edge intensity but never drown out the melodies. They dovetail neatly with the classic rock sounds and crowd singalongs of newer material like ‘45’, ‘Here Comes My Man’ and ‘Mulholland Drive’. A neatly executed cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Changing Of The Guards’ is a nice touch, giving an indication of their influences and tapping into a great heritage of American folk rock. For a set that crams in so much material, there is also no mid-set lull or let-up in energy from the band or crowd – every moment is as essential and feverishly received as the rest. Since their first appearances on the British festival circuit, The Gaslight Anthem have transformed into a sleek and electrifying live prospect.
9/10
words: Ed Biggs
Photo: tha-one.com