LIVE REVIEW: HOLY HOLY at The Lexington, London 2nd November 2015

LIVE REVIEW: HOLY HOLY at The Lexington, London 2nd November 2015 2

The fog is so thick tonight that flights in and around London have been cancelled, Autumn is most definitely here. As I stroll up to the pub-come-music venue, The Lexington on Pentonville Road, London, some members of Holy Holy are outside having a drink in the cold and gloom. While it may seem odd they should choose to stand outside, it’s boiling inside the venue so I’m hardly surprised. The majority of the voices you can hear in the bar are Australian too, so it looks like the band’s countrymen are out in full support.

The music room is up a winding staircase and is very intimate (probably holds 200 people), it’s barely half full when support, Avante Black hit the stage. Their brand of rock is well received by the audience, but they’re hungry for the main act.

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The venue’s packed as the main act hit the stage at 2130 playing a cooly excecuted intro. The crowd cheer and they start off with “History” and the band are note perfect with the front man Timothy Carroll & lead guitarist Oscar Dawson dancing along, as in to their own music as their audience. Halfway through ‘If I were You’ drummer Ryan Strathie bursts into a blitzing solo shortly followed by Dawson on guitar, it’s an awesome display of their musical prowess.

Dawson stops to say that bass player is happy today as it’s the first time he’s played his own bass in 2 weeks. Carroll expands on this saying that their gear got misdirected and spent 2 weeks in Abu Dhabi while they toured Europe, they were reunited today. As it’s the penultimate day of the tour they’ve spent most of it without! Later Dawson comments that his back is killing him having spent so long sleeping in a van, but it was worth it as it’s nice to be in London and thanks everyone for coming out.

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Carroll announces that the next track is called “Heartbreaker” and it was written in London when they were last over. “It hasn’t been recorded yet” he says, but they are enjoying playing it live. It’s typically classic rock with their overlaid synth, but this number’s heavier than any other track they’ve played so far and anything on the LP.

They sail though their set, effortlessly wowing the audience with their intricate tunes from When the Storms Would Come inducing the majority of the crowd into dancing the night away. They are amazing musicians and to reproduce the album perfectly when live is testament to that.

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After offering thanks to all involved in the tour, Carroll says “it means a lot that you can fly as far as you can possibly fly and play for people like you” before “You Cannot Call for Love Like a Dog” by far my favourite of the LP.

The crowd aren’t quite finished with them though. The demanded encore it brilliant and ultimately finishes with a cover of the band’s hero, Neil Young’sSouthern Man”. The night finishes on a high and I for one, am leaving as a bigger fan than I was before. By the time this is published, unfortunately their tour will be over, but keep an eye on them and go see them live if you get the chance, you will be left in awe.

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Thomas S. Day 93 Articles
Fav Band: Bombay Bicycle Club Fave Album: Black Holes And Revelations - Muse Email: tom@xsnoize.com

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