Los Campesinos! @ The Relentless Garage

B>Venue: The Relentless Garage Support Bands: Sparky Deathcap and Copy Haho Date: 28/10/09 Due to an unfortunate and boring incident involving trains and guest passes I arrived at The Garage for the Los Campesinos! gig late and missed 99% of Sparky Deathcap’s set so to them I apologise profusely. I didn’t have too much time to curse under my breath though before Scottish boys Copy Haho appeared, kicking off with ‘Wrong Direction’ their new 7” single out now on Too Pure records. Considering they looked like they hadn’t been getting enough carbohydrates this tour they had great energy, and ‘Wrong Direction’ is infectious in the way that all good singles should be. It must take even the most experienced of roadies a lot of time to set up instruments for all seven members of LC, so this gave me some time to cast my eyes around the crowd. Since I’ve turned twenty-one I’ve become painfully aware of my adult status, but never so much as this gig. I was taller than half of the crowd (at least the ones not hovering at the bar) in flat shoes, and I’m 5”6. But although I can legally drink anywhere in the world I haven’t yet grown out of my teen angst so I was as excited as everyone else when Los Campesinos! took to the stage. When they launched into second song ‘Death to Los Campesinos!’ it was like a Mexican wave of dancing. Starting with a few boys right at the front their excitement rippled back until everyone was violently nodding their heads to the rhythm of the keyboard. After thanking us for all coming and declaring, “this is a song about how your all going to die alone” it was time for Miserabilia, then a good old sing (shout) along during ‘This is How You Spell “HAHAHA we Destroyed the hopes and Dreams of a Generation of Faux-Romantics”. Such were the might and dedication of the fans (and they definitely deserve the description ‘fans’ not ‘the crowd’) that it didn’t even quiet down for new song ‘Romance is Dead’ the title track of their new album. When they played ‘You! Me! Dancing!’ everyone was happy to oblige and I’d forgotten my earlier youth snobbery and was grinning and jumping up and down with everyone else. It was only when I was leaving that I thought about how bizarre it was that the last songs lyrics “and it hits as hard as a blow to the head, or a smash to the skull, or a knee to your chest, sweet dreams, sweet cheeks” could make me feel so joyous. Their website says that the new album is about how “ultimately, that there probably isn’t a light at the end of the tunnel.” Well fuck it, if the Titanic sinking I want Los Campesinos to be playing on the deck.