February 19, 2006 10:27

The Strokes play surprise cover

Band conclude tour with tribute to the Ramones

Photo Gallery: The Strokes

The Strokes concluded their English and Scottish tour last night (February 18) at the Hammersmith Apollo in London.

Playing a ShockWaves NME Awards show, the band celebrated their biggest jaunt on these shores for nearly three years by including a rare cover in their assured set.

Thanking the crowd for their support throughout the gig, frontman Julian Casablancas launched the surprise song by telling the audience “We’re going to do something different tonight, a tribute to another New York band who you guys loved as well.”

The band then tore into rugged version of the Ramones' ‘Life's A Gas’. The Strokes served-up a further surprise by bringing out a keyboard so Casablancas and guitarist Nick Valensi could perform ‘Ask Me Anything’ from recent album ‘First Impressions Of Earth' as a duo.

With support coming earlier in the evening from former Moldy Peaches man Adam Green, who previewed tracks from forthcoming album ‘Jacket Full Of Danger’, and The Strokes receiving a massive reception, both sets of New Yorkers proclaimed their love for British crowds, with Casablancas explaining “You guys are the best, thank you so much”.

The Strokes played:

‘You Only Live Once’
‘The Modern Age’
‘Hawaii’
‘Juicebox’
‘The End Has No End’
’12:51’
‘Heart In A Cage’
‘Razorblade’
‘Soma’
‘I Can’t Win’
‘Electricityscape’
‘Alone Together’
‘Last Nite’
‘Hard To Explain’
‘Ize Of The World’
‘Trying Your Luck’
‘Life’s A Gas’
‘Barely Legal’
‘Ask Me Anything’
‘Vision Of Division’
‘Reptilia’
‘New York City Cops’
‘Someday’
‘Take It Or Leave It’

The Strokes now head to Ireland for dates in Belfast and Dublin this week, meanwhile the ShockWaves NME Awards 2006 take place on February 23 in London.