Sunday, 4 May 2008

White Rabbits @ The Borderline 29/04/08

To accommodate six fully grown men, two drum kits and a hefty sized keyboard onto a tiny stage is going to be a major task for any skinny sound tech. Somehow, they managed it for the White Rabbits first show at London's Borderline - and they have a TEENY stage.

The New York based six piece finally arrived in town to kick start their short UK/European tour to coincide with the recent release of their debut album 'Fort Nightly.' A fair bit of fuss has been hovering over their heads of late, with powerful live performances and a slot on David Letterman it's easy to see why music geeks are falling in love. With a rammed venue and rising temperature, White Rabbits clambered over leads and amps to their designated spot with ease. Their set was overwhelmingly engrossing with Matt and Jamie displaying two perfectly synchronised drummers who provided hammering stampedes on new single 'The Plot' and occasional tropical beats on 'I Used To Complain Now I Don't' that brought back fond memories of my beloved London boys Madness.


Pianist/vocalist Steve sat comfortably at his keys on the side of the stage facing his band mates and watching both guitarists/vocalists Greg and Alex occasionally bump into each other. Proving that space was limited, bassist Adam stood beautifully in a dark, amp-filled corner occasionally stepping up to let off steam on yet another drum for crowd pleaser 'Kid On My Shoulder.'
Visually, there was a lot happening on the small stage but all the instruments and three part harmonies enriched their forty minutes with texture and charm to make the most joyous, powerful performance I have seen in a long time.
White Rabbits Myspace / Site
More photos at Amplify This Flickr

If you need any more persuasion then have a look at their performance on David Letterman.



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