They clearly enjoy playing and the energy rubs off on the crowd as they leap all over the stage. Rarely pausing for breath, the sound at times simply resembles a wall of noise but they also produce some pleasing high pitched riffs and the drumming is a real highlight. Cowbells and wooden blocks adjourn the kit to give their performance a refreshing sense of originality.
And so to The Young Knives who stroll on looking exceptionally dapper in shirts and ties. As years go, 2007 hasn't been half bad for the indie-punk three-piece. A UK headline tour, appearances at Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds and a critically-acclaimed album that was nominated for this year’s Mercury Music Prize. Is it just me, or does that seem a tad greedy? The question now though, is whether they can keep up this phenomenal level of success. The Knives are currently recording that tricky second album, and it is one that promises to make or break their career. So many bands come and go after only the briefest of moments in the sun, so will Ashby De La Zouch's most famous export have what it takes to stick around?The Rescue Rooms crowd eagerly await them and it seems strange that they are playing in such a small venue, giving their recent success (Rock City anyone?). A fair amount of new material was showcased tonight, mingled with tracks from that Mercury-nominated album, Voices Of Animals And Men. Predictably, the older songs go down better.
Recognised favourites such as Here Comes The Rumour Mill and The Decision get the crowd dancing at the front; the Knives' piercing guitars and in-your-face brashness goes down superbly. It is a highly energetic performance and the crowd cannot help but be swept up in the flow. New single Terra Firma is one of the highlights. Every band needs an anthem to push them to superstardom and this may well do it for them. It rockets along and the chorus promises to be instantly recognisable, expect to hear this on a TV advert, or at the very least, an episode of Hollyoaks.
However, with so few hits at their disposal the crowd are forced to calm down and simply listen to the new offerings. This is a problem the band themselves address, as lead singer Henry Dartnall casually quips: “You'll probably like this one when it's all over the telly." The band do their best to keep us entertained with Henry and his brother, the curiously named Thomas 'House Of Lords' Dartnall, constantly indulging in dry wit and amusing observations. This goes down well, ensuring that no-one gets bored and to be fair the new stuff shows a fair bit of promise.
Lightswitch and Up All Night in particular point to a bright future for the Knives and perhaps that tricky second album won't be so tricky after all. The newies display more pulsating riffs and there are a couple of slow numbers as well; the band developing and varying their style. Henry was probably right, when we get to know the new album we will be getting into these as much as the songs we already know. The encore ends with old favourite She's Attracted To which causes a frenzy at the front of the stage. One feels that there will be a few more crowd pleasers in the set when they next play Nottingham and they may not be playing such a small venue next time either.
Cutting Edge: Dan Palmer
http://www.ng-magazine.com/Diary/Music/Blade_Trinity:_NG_Magazine_reviews_The_Young_Knives/
