Silversun Pickups @ Proud Galleries, Camden

April 4th 2009 

I went to a lot of effort in order to review this gig.  I didn’t discover it was even happening until about a week beforehand and found myself going into a mad panic to see if my editor could get me on the guest list.  However, relief and anticipation washed over me when I was told I was in.  

I’d seen the LA based Pickups once before - two years ago at Lollapalooza in Chicago. I wasn’t a massive fan but had developed a soft spot for radio single Lazy Eye, a songwhich gained substantial airplay on independent radio in my native Australia.  So, in an attempt to broaden my knowledge of the band, I went and checked out the set.  My take on the show in one word? Messy.  Now I’m not one to demand a band’s live performance should be exactly the same as their recorded material – little differences remind you that this is live and only act to heighten the experience in my mind.  But when songs are unrecognisable, this is where I draw the line.  I was disappointed to say the least but something told me to persevere with the band and not let my opinion of the Silversun Pickups be based on one experience.  This was the right move as, on listening to their first album Carnavas and their EP, Pikul, I was surprised and delighted to discover a band that captured the angst of the late nineties without sounding stale and decided that the poor show must have been a one-off. 

Hence my excitement when I saw they were playing in London on the back of their latest full-length offering, Swoon.  It was their chance to redeem themselves and I was more familiar with their back catalogue than last time – a guarantee of heightened enjoyment.  But alas history, it seems, was destined to repeat itself.  Yes I did recognise more songs than last time but, once again, poor sound quality and muffled vocals put a bad taste in my mouth.  And yes I know they are supposed to be grungy and dirty, I am aware that this is the kind of music this band is renowned for, BUT they are also known for emotive guitar/bass melodies and emotionally raw lyrics, all of which were barely audible.   

The set moved back and forth between old and new material with Lazy Eye being an obvious crowd pleaser while the latest single off the new album, Panic Switch, was also well appreciated. The grungy image may have gone a little far though as slam dancing, the likes of which I haven’t seen since the late nineties, made a not so welcome appearance.  The expectedly docile crowd was whipped into a fury as pushing and shoving, even punching and kicking, became the only way to deal with the drunken masses insisting on moshing for the last half of the set.  Such behaviour was not helped by lead singer Brain Aubert’s vigorous thrashing around on stage nor by the vicious assault launched on the drums by Christopher Guanlao.  If anything, these guys were at least trying to put on a show.   

Overall however, this was definitely not one of the best shows I have been to. A lacklustre performance with a touch of violence and a twist of melancholy does not an amazing gig make. Still, I stand by their recorded material and look forward to seeing what’s on offer from their latest album.   

Lee Hutchison