Little Comets at Concorde 2, Brighton
Into their 10th year of being a band, Little Comets were again touring. This time, in support of their two new singles, “M62” and “The Punk Is In The Detail”.
With this being the 8th time I have seen Little Comets play live, I am used to them producing an incredible atmosphere, however when I walked into a half empty Concorde 2, I was very sceptical on whether such an atmosphere could be recreated. With only 2 new singles released, a tour comprising of 11 dates across the UK seemed very bizarrely timed and it was no wonder why this was no where near sold out.
With such a phenominal and extensive back catalogue comprising of 4 albums and a number of EP’s, it always makes for interesting changes in setlist from tour to tour. Starting with Semaphores on the Lawn, a song that, although was released on their 2012 album ‘Life is Elsewhere’, was added to the setlist for the first time this tour. With the setlist being made up of songs taken from all 4 albums, as well as their two singles it was undoubtedly a very enjoyable show for old fans and new. Their 2 new singles were played back to back in the middle of their set and it was clear that Little Comets are still managing to produce music with both lyrical depth and their very familiar style, and they still sound incredible. ‘The Punk Is In The Detail’ joins a long list of Little Comets songs that pick apart very current issues and aim to get people thinking. With lyrics focusing on the Grenfell disaster and the problem that is modern-day racism, it shows that providing thought-provoking performances is still a key part of the band’s identity.
After playing both electric guitar and bass, lead singer Rob, moved onto the keyboard and it was at this point the crowd knew what was coming next, “The Blur, The Line and The Thickest of Onions”. Their track, famous for being aimed at Robin Thicke after he released Blurred Lines, was a moment that showed, even in a half full Concorde 2, Little Comets could still produce an incredible atmosphere.
Little Comets are also a band known for not giving into the painful tradition of an encore. Instead of leaving the stage for a couple of minutes, before returning to play the last few songs, lead singer Rob remained onstage and performed a truly encapsulating acoustic performance of ‘Coalition of One’. This provided one of the only moments of the evening where the audience was in complete silence. ‘Bridge Burn’ then followed, with the whole band back onstage, and at this point, the whole audience was singing and dancing with such passion. It made it seem like the venue was full! The set finally came to an end with their traditional set ender, ‘Dancing Song’ which as usual, was sung back to them like it was an indie anthem of the 2000s.
With the quality of both singles and their performance, I’m very excited for their 5th album and the accompanying tour dates.