The Pigeon Detectives
The Pigeon Detectives,
with support from The Wallbirds and One Night Only
Anson Rooms, Bristol
Wednesday 14th November 2007
by Meg Rowell
Tonight's sold-out show at Bristol's Anson Rooms promises to be an evening to remember. Not only are indie's hottest new band The Pigeon Detectives headlining, but there's a double serving of support acts on offer in the form of Doncaster band The Wallbirds and up-and-coming five piece One Night Only.
One Night Only
One Night Only are perhaps the youngest things I've seen on stage since an unfortunate situation involving S Club Juniors, but lead singer George Craig more than makes up for what he's lacking in years with pure charm and charisma. Putting his heart and soul into every breath, he's the natural lynchpin of the band, leading them into what can surely only be fame and fortune. Latest single You And Me sticks in the mind like the chart topping hit it really should have been and new single Just For Tonight hints of great things to come.
Next up are The Wallbirds, a confusing choice of support, especially sandwiched between two such upbeat, catchy bands. Their jingly-jangly northern indie might have cut it a good few years ago but tonight, it's a little grating.
By the time The Pigeon Detectives arrive on stage, in a flurry of smoke and light, the room is full to capacity. 'It's good to be here Bristol,' pronounces lead singer Matt Bowman, 'Let's make the most of it!'
The Wallbirds
And make the most of it they do. Kicking things off with latest single, I Found Out, it's clear that they're the kind of band you need to see live to really appreciate the hype. The sound is full, the energy high and Bowman works both the stage and the audience with the kind of arrogant swagger only a rock star can get away with.
The interesting thing though, is that he only just gets away with it. After working their way through tracks such as Don't Know How To Say Goodbye, early single You Know I Love You and I Can't Control Myself, from their debut album Wait For Me, Bowman notices the crowd waning and starts an impromptu chant of the chorus line from I Found Out, the first track they played. The audience react with slight puzzlement. Didn't they do that one already?
The Pigeon Detectives
As the set progresses, the audiences' attention starts to wane even more. Couples start snogging, text messages are written on glowing lcd screens, sweaty group photos are taken. The trouble is, although The Pigeon Detectives have some great tunes and are an incredibly entertaining live act, they're just not ready for venues of this size, or shows of this stature, if for no other reason than they simply don't have enough songs yet. This may say more about the music industry pouncing on young bands and making them too big before they're ready but, ultimately, it's the bands that suffer, gaining a reputation for lack lustre performances when, really, they should just be doing shorter sets in smaller venues.
It's not often that the support act steals the show but tonight, for me, it was One Night Only who really got my attention. As for The Pigeon Detectives, they're obviously destined for big things, the record companies have already made sure of that, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if they played the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury next year, but, for their sake, I really hope they don't.
For more details about The Pigeon Detectives, including any forthcoming UK tour dates, see their page here on Ents24.
