Are you aware that there is a ton of good Indian food in London? You most likely are, but know you know if you didnít previously. One of the best-known streets for Indian snack treats is Brick Lane and, luckily, South were playing a gig on that street last night, so not only did I get to feast aurally but I got to get my curry on, as well. Mmmm, veg curry.
93 Feet East hosted Southís first gig in their hometown in many months. The boys had been squirreled away recording their sophomore album, With The Tides, due out in the US in September, and this was their first live performance in quite a while. Excitement shone through, however, both on the part of the packed house, and the band, frontman Joel Cadbury especially giddy to be playing in London again. The set was mixed with tracks from their first album, From Here On In and the new one, with great results. Of the older material, ìBroken Head,î and ìLive Between The Linesî were both good, but by far the best old track was ìPaint The Silence,î the Stone Roses meets Moí Wax-ism of it shining most brightly on the evening. ìSilence,î however, was not the most warmly received track, however. That honor went to new single, ìLoosen Your Hold,î which Joel told us had been playlisted all across London (BBC, Virgin Radio, XFM), to great applause from the crowd, including XFM DJ/Mrs. Fatboy Slim, Zoe Ball. ìLoosen,î with its harpsichord intro, banjo hook, and backing strings was the beacon in the set and one hopes that it catches on with the general populace as much as it did with the crowd last night.
the encore was short but sweet, with a Nick Drake cover to start, ìBlack Eyed Dog,î and the final song of the night being their instrumental rendition of ìDolphins Were Monkeys,î the Ian Brown song they were commissioned to remix. The band thanked the crowd immensely and as I walked down Brick Lane, it was with a full belly and a happy heart, as the South boys had made me quite happy, indeed.
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