MTV’s Brand New for 2016

The second of MTV Brand New for 2016 showcases hit Camden’s Electric Ballroom on Wednesday 27th January, featuring up-and-comers Nimmo and Rat Boy alongside noughties indie legends Bloc Party.

Nimmo

Nimmo were the first band in the evening’s lineup. Their electro pop songs were catchy with the band looking extremely happy to be on stage, if a bit nervous. Their songs initially felt a bit on the long side but they definitely grew on me by the end. They definitely have the possibility of being the ‘next big thing’, and are of a similar vein to Jungle. The chemistry and songs are there for a solid foundation.

Rat Boy

Next up was the 19 year old Rat Boy (aka Jordan Cardy) and his band. It’s clear from the start that many people, most between the ages of 14 to 16, were looking forward to his performance. It makes sense as his lyrics are generally tinged with teenage angst. Rat Boy sounds like a Jamie T clone who could potentially emulate the success of the original but I feel like he’s a bit of a ‘record label manufactured’ Jamie T rather than something more natural.

The sound quality is extremely poor (with a sound check almost seeming like an impossibility). The kiddies mosh like there’s nothing wrong but a loud siren-like sound plays between songs, and I’m unsure if it’s intentional or not (it didn’t sound right at all). The rest of the crowd almost look surprised and shocked that the music gets such a good response. There was even a stage invasion during the last song ‘Fake ID’, which I’m sure all of his fans would have needed to buy any drinks during the evening.

Having listened to studio versions of some of his songs previously, they’re actually quite good, if unoriginal. Maybe with a sound check, he may have been much better than he was on this evening. However, from the audience participation I saw this evening, he’ll do well no matter what happens.

Bloc Party

Bloc Party’s return after a two year hiatus was surprising due to the fact that half of the line-up had left during the break. Replacing Matt Tong (drums) and Gordon Moakes (bass) with Louise Bartle and Justin Harris, respectively, the band have been building up to the release of their new (less than acclaimed) album Hymns.

Entering with new song ‘The Good News’, they started out a bit too slow and the energy of the audience was slightly drained with mild swaying being the most active response. It’s a nice start but nothing special. To me, it felt like if it continued in this way this could have been the most dull concert I’d ever been to.

Thankfully, they go straight into 2008’s ‘Mercury’. Whilst it’s not Bloc Party’s most famous song, the dancey vibes of the song energise the audience. Kele Okereke (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) hypes up the crowd with some playful banter. The musicianship of Harris is truly seen to be great, and perhaps supasses his predecessor; he performs with a saxophone rather than a synth which makes the song have a bit more of a ‘human’ feel. Moving swiftly on to ‘Song For Clay (Disappear Here)’ and the classic hit ‘Banquet’, the crowd starts to finally form a reasonable mosh pit (for a free gig, anyway). The band also seem to enjoy themselves, relaxing into the corporate setting. Bartle shows her skill on the old songs with fast paced drumming and perfect precision.

Sadly after this, the concert went for a turn for the worse as three songs from new album Hymns are played, all in succession. As the majority of these songs had not been released at this point, very few people in the crowd knew the songs and the feeling from the crowd went to euphoria to frustration very rapidly. People were calling out for (debut album) Silent Alarm tracks during this marathon of new songs, with Kele asking ‘Who let these fools in?’ but alas most people agreed with the hecklers. It was saddening to see as the live versions of the songs are a lot better than the studio versions, especially ‘Different Drugs’. Saying that, ‘The Love Within’ was just barely listenable to (though the album version is actually unlistenable) and got the best response of the new songs. The band also seemed a bit disappointed with the general response from the audience during this segment but they were playing generally very boring parts, with the raw skill of the band not on display. In particular, the drumming is extremely basic and disappointing to watch as Bartle is clearly capable of performing to a much higher standard.

Thankfully, the concert did finish on a high with the Silent Alarm track ‘This Modern Love’ reminding most people why they fell in love with Bloc Party back in the mid to late 00s. Russell Lissack (guitarist) still impresses to this day and the audience were practically hugging each other at the climax. It’s truly the highlight of the night, and I would even go so far to say it saved the gig.

Asking the audience if they “wanted a banger”, Kele and co finished with ‘Ratchet’ which produced the most violent mosh pit of the night despite the odd person still heckling the band for more Silent Alarm tracks rather than a (somewhat) recent hit. It was a great way to end a concert with the energy of the crowd equaling, possibly even surpassing, the energy during ‘Banquet’.

After this, the band left the stage. Despite cries for another song, with the most popular suggestions being ‘Helicopter’ and ‘Flux’, the band did not return. I can’t blame them completely for leaving without an encore, as it was a corporate gig and the fact that a large number of the audience seemed disinterested with the band.

Saying that, the disinterest was a result of the uninspiring setlist. I believe they could have gotten away with a Hymns heavy set but they needed to spread the new songs out a bit more and it did feel almost criminal to not play ‘Helicopter’. Many left disappointed, despite the event being free, as the crowd and probably the band knew how much better this concert could have been.