Wild Beasts 

Live reviews

• Wild Beasts

  TL:DR: Underwhelming and low energy. Great song selection.

  Long version:

  I have been a Wild Beasts fan for a few years now. I've enjoyed Smother, Two Dancers and Present Tense. All albums have their own strong points, moods and themes.

  The first time I saw Wild Beasts live was maybe 2 years ago. I have now seen them 4 times. 2 times in medium sized venues Brixton Academy, one time at the BST and now yesterday, at the Roundhouse.

  The first two gigs I saw were energetic and powerful. The BST one was so-so, but we attributed it to the fact that the stage was positioned so the band got the afternoon sun straight in the face, it was still pretty early, and the crowd was a bit too big.

  Now to the Roundhouse. It's a small, intimate venue, which makes it reasonable to assume that the people who are there were Wild Beasts fans. My group consisted of me and a friend who like the music, my girlfriend who is neutral, and the partner of my friend, who doesn't know them.

  None of us felt that this was a great concert, and my friend's comment after the gig was "No Wild Beasts for a while now".

  The band felt tired, low energy and bored of the old material. You could feel the palpable change in pace when they sang the new songs (I don't love, but do enjoy the last album), and then the dip down into boredom when old hits like All The King's Men, Hooting and Hollering, etc were delivered.

  The guitarist was also very unengaging, looking bored and awkward on stage, often standing around doing nothing, and not really contributing to the energy.

  The high points of the gig were the new songs, where the band really came alive and shone, as well as the medley of Devil's Crayon, which was warm, emotive and sad.

  The band finished on That's How I get my Bang and All The King's Men, maybe the most telling example of what I'm trying to say above. Bang was great, explosive and hot. All the Kings Men was an autopilot mess of mumbled lyrics, slightly rushed delivery and a band that looked like it was ready to fall asleep.

  I look forward to more music from Wild Beasts and am curious to hear their continued evolution, but will not be going to the gigs for some time.

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  by anton-gourman

• Wild Beasts were here to promote their fourth album 'Present Tense', a subtle, complex, inventive slow grower, with many clever, hooky songs that eventually seep into your mind with every listening.

  True, compared to the album, Hayden Thorpe's mostly falsetto voice revealed a much more muscular tone and Tom Fleming's singing was impressive. It's great to hear two front line vocalists with such different approaches.But they played at such high volume that the whole building shook; no need to blast us out of our seats, just keeps us in them and entrance us with your music.

  Eventually, my guest whispered to me that it all sounded a bit samey. I agreed.We were bored. Then came the encores. Wonderlust was the first of four.This was just a great blast of sound, almost unrecognisable from the great track that has received so much air time in the UK.

  This thunderous sound was not the best way to present their work.

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  By Anonymous

• The show was simply great, even considering the half-empty venue. The sound was one of the best I've experienced so far in Copenhagen, people seemed to know the lyrics and the band so it didn't look like they came just because their boyfriend or girlfriend are listening to Wild Beasts.

  Pumpehuset, a middle-sized venue, is among my favorite ones.

  The best songs: Wanderlust, We Still Got The Taste Dancin' On Our Tongues, Alpha Female.

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  by rostyslav-khudolii

• They were very, very, very good.

  If I was asked for my favourite concert I would certainly have to consider this one.

  Will defiantly go and see them again, hopefully soon.

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  by Hup2chris

• Not great. The sound did not do justice to the band so unfortunately disappointing. The bass was way too over the top Shame that's the last gig we'll see for Wild Beats

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  by john-nash-2