The Old Blue Last, London
28th February, 2011
Photo: Maryam Hassan
The Old Blue Last has played host to many a monumentous gig, having had the likes of titans Steel Panther, Gallows and Fucked Up through their doors. letlive.‘s first headline show in the country is definitely going to go down as one of those “I was there” events. The night before, the band played to a sparse crowd at the Underworld as they took to the stage 15 mins after doors opened as support to Your Demise. Despite the absence of a packed-out crowd, letlive. put on a performance that put almost every other band who has actually headlined the Underworld to shame. So it was with baited breath that the crowd of excited observers began to gather at the Rock Sound Secret Set at OBL the following night.
Hearts Under Fire and The James Cleaver Quintet did their best to get everyone warmed up but it was clear from the first 20 seconds of letlive.’s performance, which saw vocalist Jason pull himself up onto part of the lighting rig on the ceiling and hang down by his feet whilst still ripping impressively through his vocals, that this was letlive.’s night.
Each member of the band was intensely present and playing their role with a stunning mixture of precision, heartfelt emotion and their own unique rambunctious rock and roll flair. Flawless musicianship fronted by a little bit of crazy. One second Jason was on stage, the next he was standing on the bar pouring a pint of dirty water all over himself. One second his voice is breaking in screams for ‘Muther’ and the next he’s crooning the female vocal part from the track.
Even with a sneaky Refused cover snuck into the mix, it’s clear that letlive.’s own songs are something special that the present day rock scene is largely missing. A unique blend of heaviness and melody that certainly draws upon influence from the likes of Deftones and Glassjaw but also brings something entirely new to the table, even if you can’t quite put your finger on exactly what that spark of innovation entails.
letlive. will be releasing their album ‘Fake History‘ in the UK next month but an it’s fantastic. But live is where this band is truly unbelievable. If you miss out on any chance you may get to go and see them, you’re a fool.
Jay Tate
For more pics from this show visit our friends at Punktastic