Canuck Aboot Toon: The Wombats, Get People, O2 Academy, Newcastle upon Tyne, Saturday 5 March 2011

I love a good crowd shot, me.

You’ll know from this post that there aren’t many bands that Jase and I both like. But – wha-hoo – because The Wombats were playing in our town last night, and we both like them.

So off we go!

I really liked the gig – it was a sell-out and the Academy was packed. Packed WITH TEENY TINY CHILDREN. Whooooo baby, did we feel old last night. But, ~~nasty bitch~~ ever the optimist that I am, I was able to turn a uncomfortable situation into a positive one, and spent a happy hour before the headliner came on by developing my discourse on “Kids These Days”.

Jason thinks it’s despicable and small-minded of me but in my defence, HAVE YOU SEEN WHAT THEY’RE WEARING? Are we at a garden party with that floral shorts set and old-people’s-home cardigan, or are we at a rock concert? PULL UP THOSE TROUSERS, YOUNG MAN! Don’t even get me started on their shoes.

Be all that as it may – we missed the first support band entirely. I wish I could say the same for the second support band; they were called Get People and they were pretty boring. Have a listen for yourself but I thought their setlist was one degree away from what you’d find badly dubbed on a Maxell C-90 in the tape collection of that guy from American Psycho. There are lots of good things about the 80’s and the music scene, don’t get me wrong. The foundations of my own musical tastes were fired there, and it was an exciting time for a lot of people.

So, be inspired by the music from that time? Sure. “Borrow” a few tricks and aural flourishes here and there? Quirky. But what I heard last night was a blatant style-for-style rip off of all that was bad about the music of that time. Sorry lads; I was half expecting this guy to come out and provide guest vocals, and not even in a good way. Just about every song ended with the same noise that Ross’s song ends with here. Not my scene. But you know, I am not a kid these days, and all that.

Anyway – WOMBATS! Hurrah! I loved it. First I heard of them was a few years ago; they got a bit of SXSW buzz about them in 2007 with their single "Let's Dance to Joy Division". Proud to call myself a card-carrying moody and defensive lifetime Joy Division nut, I was prepared to be outraged on their behalf when I first heard OF this song - BUT it's so great I didn't mind it taking up residence in my ear and subsequently bought the whole record. And I'm glad - it's gem.

They came out and attacked their set; really looked like they were enjoying themselves and had the whole floor jumping. They played a good mix of new stuff and old – their 2007 release “A Guide to Love, Loss and Desperation” has some great little numbers, and I’m looking forward to picking up their forthcoming album “A Modern Glitch” when it is released this year. You might already know their newest single "Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)" which they finished the set with last night with full audience participation.