Tokyo Police Club - Scala - 18th June 2008

Canadian quartet Tokyo Police Club first came to the attention of music fans in 2006 when they released their critically acclaimed debut EP 'A Lesson in Crime' which consisted of seven tracks that flew by in a very short but thoroughly enjoyable sixteen minutes. It was the definition of short and sweet.

Two years on they finally released their long-awaited full-length debut 'Elephant Shell', although at twenty-eight minutes long calling it a full-length is generous, but what it lacks in quantity it certainly makes up for in quality; the energy that endeared them to their fans is still evident here.

It is supporting this album that brings the band to London tonight, on the last date of their British tour.


The youthful foursome take to the stage and singer/bassist Dave Monks gives a goofy grin and "Hello" before they launch straight into 'Graves' from the new album.

The second track is popular b-side 'Box'. It's obvious that they are more than willing to draw from all of their sources of songs to make the gig as long and enjoyable as possible.

The top of the show consists mainly of songs from the new album which all go down a treat but when the opening chords and chanting of 'Your English is Good' come into play this turns from an awkward rhythmic knee-jerking affair to a full on rock show. The crowd bounces wildly turning the cramped room into a tiny festival arena.


From here on the crowd doesn't let up the energy and the band are in great form. They mix it up with newer songs, a cover of The Rentals' 'Friends of P' and songs from 'A Lesson in Crime', to the crowd's obvious delight. Only one of the songs stretches beyond the three-minute mark so they come in rapid-fire with barely a breath to spare before the next hit.

The band are all very active on stage, making full use of the spacious stage by swanning about whilst playing, as if to mock those of us who are being crushed down at the front. Nevertheless the crowd do their best to pull their arms free and clap along at the slightest suggestion from the band, most notably on the mid-set highlight 'Citizens of Tomorrow'.

The most energetic of the band members is Graham Wright. Despite playing the most constricting instrument he manages to expend ample amounts of kinetic energy on each song, at times when he is enthusiastically banging his tambourine his arms seem nothing more than a blur! However whenever he gets a moment to rest he is the complete opposite of this, taking time to sip from a glass of wine which he has brought to the stage with him.

Tokyo Police Club are more well known for their faster songs but for me the highlight of the night comes in the slower, reverb drenched rendition of 'Listen to the Math' which is played towards the end of the show. Monks croons into the microphone the song which details becoming a father and raising a daughter. On a night consisting mainly of jagged guitar lines played over rapid pounding drum rhythms this song cuts away from the rest and sticks in the memory for longer.

After this 'Be Good' finishes the main set before the band wander off-stage. The time they spend off stage is correctly proportioned to the length of their songs, with my estimation being around ten seconds. They are keen to get back onto the stage and see of the end of their British tour in style. They play a new song, cleverly entitled 'New New Song' before finishing with the very song that introduced us to Tokyo Police Club 'Cheer It On', the first track from 'A Lesson In Crime', and the perfect way to see out the night.

Rating: 8.2/10
Best Part: "Operator!? Get me the President of the World! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!" - 'Cheer It On'

To see the rest of my photos from this gig, click here

If you haven't heard any Tokyo Police Club songs, here are some you can check out:

Cheer It On (from 'A Lesson In Crime' EP)
Citizens of Tomorrow (from 'A Lesson In Crime' EP)
Box (from 'Smith' EP)
In A Cave (from 'Elephant Shell')
Tessellate (from 'Elephant Shell')
Your English Is Good (from 'Elephant Shell')
Listen to the Math (from 'Elephant Shell')

The set list:

Fleet Foxes - ULU - 11th June 2008

Whenever it was in their lifetimes that the members of Fleet Foxes heard of 'using the voice as an instrument' they clearly took it to heart. Their releases thus far have been nothing but joyous folk pop with the power of the voice being used to great effect on all tracks.

Tonight they start with their strongest suit, kicking off with three-part a cappella harmonies that usher in the the shining sound of 'Sun Giant' a song that is a tribute to the sun which fuels all life and the things that inspires Fleet Foxes' organic sound. This quickly rolls into 'Sun It Rises', the opening track of their recently released eponymous debut album. The band kicks in and the foxes are in full flow, pitch-perfect vocals over the top of simple and beautiful folk tunes.


The set tonight consists of songs from their recent LP and also the 'Sun Giant' EP, both of which have been released this year (strangely the EP was recorded after the LP but released before it).

The band are on fantastic form in every way possible. Vocally they remain strong throughout whether they split the vocals into different parts to layer several melodies into their songs as they do on 'English House' or combining them to create a rainbow of noise. Even guitarist Skyler Skjelset who is the only member of the band that doesn't sing is mouthing along the words enthusiastically as he plays.

When lead singer Robin Pecknold is left alone on stage with just his acoustic guitar to play stripped down ballads such as 'Oliver James' he manages to put raw power and emotion into the songs using his voice, which has a range and a certain distilled purity that encapsulates everything that's brilliant about the band. These are heights that many of today's new bands strive to reach and fail miserably.



Pecknold himself is only 22 but you wouldn't know it either from his heavily bearded appearance or the from the maturity in his lyrics and songs. Of course the other members all played their crucial part in bringing his visions to life and show many of the same qualities.

Tonight though, their youthfulness is on full show as they seem truly bewildered and beside themselves with happiness that this many people would come to see them, especially in London, several thousand miles from their homes in Seattle. During the cheers the band members are visibly shaking their heads in disbelief the the reception they are receiving. Despite this they are not over awed by the situation and are perfectly happy to partake in some banter with the audience, which is one of the glorious things about playing in intimate venues. It's unlikely that Fleet Foxes will be playing venues of this size for much longer so this a real treat.


The crowd for their part is perfect, giving the band extremely handsome applause for each and every song before falling perfectly silent and attentive ready for the next song. During the brief moments of mid-song silence and the quieter acoustic songs you could have heard a pin drop. All 1000 people in the audience held their collective breath with rapt attention are hung on every note, lusting for what's coming next.

They finish the main set with a bombastic rendition of EP highlight 'Mykonos', extending the ending to finish as they started, with more powerful harmonies.


The band are off stage for barely twenty seconds before Robin comes bounding back on and picks up his acoustic guitar for a rousing rendition of 'Tiger Mountain Peasant Song'. After this the rest of the band rejoin their leader on stage to finish with 'Blue Ridge Mountains'. The band thank the crowd profusely and their gratitude is returned in kind. The band are smiling from ear to ear as they leave the stage and so is everybody else in the room.

Folk music may not be as popular today as it has been in the past but if there's anybody who's going to bring back the recognition that it deserves there's nobody more likely to accomplish the job than Pecknold and his merry men.

Rating: 9.6/10
Best Part: Harmonies, harmonies, harmonies, it's all about those harmonies!!

If you haven't heard any of Fleet Foxes then you must check them out. Both their EP and album have been recently released and are worth every penny. Here are a few tracks you can download to whet your appetite:

White Winter Hymnal (from 'Fleet Foxes')
Your Protector (from 'Fleet Foxes')
Blue Ridge Mountains (from 'Fleet Foxes')
English House (from 'Sun Giant' EP)
Mykonos (from 'Sun Giant' EP)

See the rest of my photos by clicking here

Video: 'Oliver James' (sound quality is ok since it's an acoustic song)