Louis XIV confidently strolls onto the Arena’s colossal stage as support for the Killers, and as always the weight of expectation with the fans of the headline act is high.
Having your music compared to the likes of Rolling Stones, T-Rex and David Bowie maybe very flattering, but it also puts you under a considerable amount of pressure when it comes to live gigs.
The Californian bands latest album, Slick Dogs and Ponies, was well received by rock critics in the US and shows how much the band have progressed musically since forming in 2003 – earning them a legion of new fans along the way.
A rapturous reception from the Brandon Flowers worshiping crowd marks their arrival on stage; Jason Hill looks every inch the rock star with his ‘Mod’ hair cut and snazzy white jacket, while his smart suited cohort, guitarist / vocalist Brian Karscig resembles someone out of the Bad Seeds with his bushy beard and long black hair.
Karscig’s high-reaching vocals are definitely something else – his dulcet tunes being the perfect contrast to Jason Hill’s sneering punk rock vocals. Hill’s direct lyrical style is, at times, not too dissimilar to Manchester’s very own punk poet, Mark E Smith.
The band start with There’s A Traitor In This Room from Slick Dogs and Ponies, which inevitably gets a good response. Louis XIV and Misguided Sheep are soon to follow before the band launch into the older stuff. Finding Out That True Love Is Blind, arguably one of the finer points of their debut album, The Best Little Secrets Are Kept manages to keep its rough swaggering charm when showcased live.
Saving the best for last, the band previews an excellent new track that was co- written with Mr Brandon Flowers. Instantly memorable, the song features a catchy chorus and is a potential hit if ever there was one.
Louis XIV delivered a breath taking set packed full of catchy riffs, melodies, feedback and hard rocking beats – a combination that it seems only musicians from the good old US of A can produce.
4 Stars
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