THE STROKES played their biggest headline gig to date at a packed HEAVEN nightclub in central LONDON last night (June 28), at a show that was the hottest ticket in town so far this year.
With fans paying touts up to £150 for a ticket outside the venue, there had been an equal clamour for stars to get on the guest list, with Neil Tennant from Pet Shop Boys, Danny Goffey from Supergrass, Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde, plus comedian Sean Hughes and actor John Simm among the 1,000-capacity audience crammed into the sauna-like venue. Also spotted were one-time collaborators David McAlmont and Bernard Butler who put their differences behind them for a chat in the bar.
The band took the stage at 11 o’clock, and played a concise set that ran through their forthcoming album ‘Is This It’, with frontman Julian Casablancas saying little between songs.
The show got off to a slightly turbulent start, with several plastic pint pots being thrown at the stage, one of which hit Casablancas on the head and another hitting guitarist Nick Valensi, before they had completed the second song ‘The Modern Age’.
Although surprised by the missiles, the band got on with their set and the audience was drenched in sweat and heaving in a moshpit. Casablancas only spoke to thank support bands Mull Historical Society and Moldy Peaches, and the audience for coming along “to our biggest headline gig”, although he did made sly reference to the people huddled in the back bar during song ‘Last Nite’, in which he added the line: “The people standing at the back they don’t understand”.
He also made reference to injured drummer Fab, who was replaced by friend of the band Matt Romano after breaking his hand last week, forcing cancellation of three shows on their sell-out debut UK tour. Fab later briefly came onstage to hug each member of the band.
Last night’s gig, however, was a triumphant end to the tour.
The set-list ran:
‘Is This It’
‘The Modern Age’
‘Soma’
‘Barely Legal’
‘Someday’
‘Alone Together’
‘Last Nite’
‘Hard To Explain’
‘NYC Cops’
‘Trying Your Luck’
‘Take It Or Leave It’
Click here to read NME.COM’s review of the show.
The Strokes‘ new single ‘Hard To Explain’ is on course to score them their first Top Ten hit this Sunday, according to midweek sales.
NME.COM wants to know what YOU thought of the gig – did the band live up to expectations or is it all hype over a bunch of pretty boys from New York? Email us at news@nme.com with your comments.