It’s a hot and sweaty night in north London at a sold out Dome. The addition of a reasonably priced IPA at the bar since the last time I visited is just what the doctor ordered to try and break the heat.
There are no surprises in the first set as it’s a complete in sequence rendition of the fantastic ‘Let Go’. One of my favourite, not just power pop, albums of the last fifteen years but of any genre. Not a bad track which is unusual and it’s great to hear it played live again. Highlights, difficult but if I have to choose, the back to back of ‘Fruit Fly’ and ‘Blonde on Blonde’ nail it.
Nada Surf are a band comfortable in their own skin and the usual three piece are augmented with keys tonight. With the superb Matthew Caws on lead and vocals, Daniel Lorca slinking around on bass with the obligatory cigarette dangling from his mouth and the metronomic beast that’s Ira Elliot on the biggest drum kit outside of a metal band they turn their hand from acapella, power pop, acoustic and full on rock and even French.
After a short break the band return for a greatest hits set heavily drawing from ‘The Proximity Effect’ and ‘The Weight is a Gift’. And what a start ‘Imaginary Friends’ and ‘Teenage Dreams’ set the tone for another hour of the finest power pop. I think Nada Surf are the closest American band to our own Teenage Fanclub and if there was a criticism tonight it was the backing vocals were a bit low in the mix. It’s a minor quibble though. The main difference I think between the two are that Nada Surf can really rock out when they want to especially on ‘Dispossession’ and ‘Popular’.
There’s time for a snippet of ‘Love will tear us apart’ during ‘Stalemate’ and some two and half hours after we started we come to an end with ‘Blankest Year’ and crowd are dancing as one huge hot sweaty mass.
A fantastic, sweaty, thrilling and a little bit nostalgic night of thoroughly music and ‘till the next time keep on rockin’ y’all