Named after the signature instrument synonymous with every band Brooklyn rock quartet The Drums play like a beating heart. Simple, effective and as strong as a fist. In mid-2009 the 50s inspired musical endeavour was born. It would be a completely selfish venture set out to please only themselves and tonight’s Old Blue Last gig was to be the first of their six sold-out UK shows....
......On stage The Drums are more than a musical outfit. They’re a performance piece in which every member falls to the mercy of the energy and spirit of the live spectacle; all inhibitions are completely lost. Non-fussed in their approach to both the lyrics and the music; there are no chords and every song is constructed around the three-minute ‘verse-chorus-verse-chorus-end’, the Cali-inspired band offer instant gratification with catchy hooks and a straight-to-the point libretto......vocalist Pierce bellows down the microphone while happily indulging in his ‘trade-mark’ jerky spasmodic dance moves; angular in style. Guitarist Jacob Graham plays like a mini-hurricane; bouncing about the stage; spinning back and forth tambourine in hand. They’re instinctive, lost in their creation and completely self-unaware.
Their synth-laced tunes are reminiscent of bands such as New Order and Joy Division while their heartbreaking teen melodramatic themes reference 60s pop groups the Ronettes and The Shangri-Las. Their EP is good but their live show is better. The Drums are bookish types that make fast-uptight rock ‘n roll songs with 60s pop inflexions. Their vivid on-stage presence; wild yet refined, further justifies just what all the fuss is really about. They are the ultimate ‘generation me’ rock band creating music only for themselves and they are damn lucky the rest of us share their passion.
Full review up on Dummy Mag here!
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love them. great live.
ReplyDeleteThey were more flamboyant than I could have ever imagined.
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