CAMDEN CRAWL : The Electric Ballroom
- Posted on April 24, 2007 10:08 AM
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THE CAMDEN CRAWL : The Electric Ballroom Thursday 19 April
By Peter Coulston
So here I am, on part two of the music marathon that is the Camden Crawl. Having parted company with my colleague, Katie Spain, who was heading for the Dublin Castle for a heavy session (in more ways than one no doubt) with Amy Winehouse, I prepared myself for the more sober company of Ash. This was one of the earlier starts (6:15pm), which meant that my craving for a burger caused me to miss half the set by Cajun Dance Party, due to there being no food at the venue. What I heard of the band I enjoyed very much, so I must try to catch them again.
The venue itself is very large and impersonal; a typical rock spot, which was, of course, perfect for this occasion. With a line up of popular acts, you do not want to be packed like sardines for over five hours. The Electric Ballroom allowed lots of room to wander around and grab a beer (or three) between acts and you could still be near the stage when the action started if you positioned yourself about fifteen minutes before start time. The first full performance for me was Kid Harpoon, who is a bloke, not a band. Let me tell you, this guy had the audience singing and dancing with him from the beginning, with his cheeky songs about rats, reincarnation and, of course, love. Some of the material would not be out of place in a musical and he has such stage presence. He was joined by Kate Nash for one very nice number, and left the audience needing more. Jack Penate is an artist who has progressed through the same circuit as James Morrison and Paulo Nutini this year, though he is very different from both of them. He opened with a bit of “Got My Mojo Working” followed by some good songs, frantically performed. He threw in a ballad and some reggae for good measure and pleased the audience no end.
Air Traffic are a piano based indie band from Bournemouth who took their name from the days when they were rehearsing in an abandoned warehouse and the signals from air traffic control nearby kept messing up their amps. They’ve come a long way since then and the amps were certainly working on Thursday. Very competent performance that featured their current material; I particularly liked “I Like That”. So did the punters. It seemed like forever until Ash came on, but they were worth the wait. Now down to three, with Tim Wheeler taking the solos, they covered old and new, including their new single “You Can’t Have It All”, old stuff like “Orpheus” and a new number “Polaris”. They have apparently changed direction a bit, but I can’t say I noticed; then again, I had been living off Marshall Amps since 2pm. Someone on the radio the other night said they sounded like Hawkwind, whoever they are. You old guys; what are you like? On Friday morning I listened to “Meltdown” in its entirety and have to say, it’s not the same without Charlotte Hatherley’s awesome solos. Sorry Tim, but a great set anyway.
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