Metronomy and Drums Of Death at The Forum

Metronomy and Drums Of Death at The Forum

21 September, 2009
by: Bendevere

The Forum, 'a beautiful mid-sized venue with plenty of history and charm' does nothing tonight but bring home the cold truth that summer 2009 is well and truly over. It's dark, it's cramped, it smells, there's already a fight being broken-up by the stairs. Unless we flee the country there are six months of this ahead of us.
 
Drums Of Death know it - they're being extra-aggressive tonight. Their Bestival set the previous week was positively fluffy by comparison. Veteran Colin Bailey's newly formed three-piece are hitting their stride after a mere three gigs since leaving the basement – my basement to be precise. Weeks of strange growls coming up through the floorboards - not being allowed to see what the hell's going on down there until the madness is organised - all very Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Luckily they're superb. Totally original, heavy-handed electro-rock that somehow reminds me of Bon Jovi, in the best possible way. Catchy songwriting too.
 
Recently reformed to include a live drummer, Metronomy are here to pimp their new EP, 'Not Made For Love/Do The Right Thing' ahead of a re-release of 'Nights Out'. They open with fan favorites 'You Could Easily' and 'Heart Rate Rapid', and it takes them a good twenty minutes to really hit their stride.
 
A highlight is the Patrick Swayze tribute interlude - four hot dancers and a new version of 'A Thing For Me'. In fact, the dancers are my highlight for the evening. Not just because they're hot - whoever they are they seem incredibly well-choreographed, and I know nothing about dance. 'Trick or Treat' was followed by a new number that seems to go down well - the first I've heard penned as a four-piece.
 
They seem a lot more comfortable as a band since their Glastonbury show, but I don't think I'm alone in missing the old, stripped down three-way Metronomy. It set them apart. This set-up might be better suited to larger venues, bigger crowds, more money, but I suspect it might have been the result of management pressure.
 
Front-man Joe Mount's banter certainly hasn't improved since Glastonbury however. From following up a foolproof 'Hello Glastonbury!!' with 'Have you all got your tents…!?'; this set's highlight was following 'Hello London!' with 'Is London OK? We like London!' Inspired.

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Bendevere