Kids In Glass Houses have grown hugely in size with regular airplay on Radio 1, which has all resulted in tonight’s show being completely sold out. The mainly teenage queue is extremely long as anticipation builds.But first on tonight are Watford hopefuls Spy Catcher. I have only ever seen these guys perform an acoustic set so I was excited to see what they could deliver with a full set up. One thing that has baffled me both times watching these is the fact that bassist Stu Gilli-Ross (also bassist for Gallows and the reason I heard of this band in the first place) is not performing with them. Spy Catcher perform to a half full KOKO but this doesn’t seem to bother them in the slightest. They play song after song of gritty punk-rock injected with a high dose of soul. The crowd lack in movement but they show their appreciation in form of applause, and I can’t see one person not clapping. Spy Catcher don’t need the spectacular lighting that the headliners receive to make their set more appealing, they do this with their music alone, especially with extremely catchy tracks ‘You Got Soul’ and ‘Don’t Like People’ which I can’t help but nod my head and tap my feet to. I really hope these guys get the attention they deserve and make it big, they certainly have the potential.
I’d never actually gotten around to giving General Fiasco a listen before the show so I was completely unaware of what to expect from them, although I was told that they were really indie (yawn). When General Fiasco started playing, up until the chorus what I was told seemed correct, they are very indie indeed. But as the chorus comes in they transform into an insanely catchy pop-rock band. This seems to be the guideline for all of their songs tonight, indie verses with pop-rock choruses that are so bouncy they even manage to get the old guy leaning against the wall on his feet and moving. But it’s when they perform ‘Ever So Shy’ that I’m hit with how good these Belfast boys really are. I need to get an exterminator in to remove its chorus from my head, but it’s so enjoyable I’m not sure I want to. It gets everyone jumping and plasters smiles on everyone’s faces, including mine. Im left pleasantly surprised by General Fiasco but I can’t help but think how much more id enjoy them without the indie verses.
Almost 2 years ago, I saw Kids In Glass Houses play here at the KOKO as support for a free I-tunes live festival show. Tonight shows how far they have come as they have managed to sell out the same venue as headliners and the place is buzzing with excitement. The stage has been taken over by fairy lights as they cover all of the amps and even the drum kit. This along with the bouquets of pink and white flowers attached to the amps and mic stands creates a theatrical feel that fits perfectly well with decor of the KOKO interior.KIGH open with the first track form latest album Dirt ‘Artbreaker I’. I’ve never heard KIGH sound so perfect, especially on the first song of their set. Without pause they plough into ‘The Best Is Yet to Come’ and they already have 100% control over the audience as they dance, jump and sing along.
‘Give Me What I Want’ is the first track that I ever heard from KIGH and has always been a live favourite of mine and certainly still is after the energetic deliverance of it tonight.
The set list is mostly Dirt orientated but it is lightly scattered with gems from debut album Smart Casual which pleases everyone in attendance. On record, ‘Undercover Lover’ (which features guest vocals from The Saturdays’ Frankie Sandford) sounds cheesy and is kind of a guilty pleasure track on the album, but live tonight it is transformed into a sing along beast.
A favourite of mine off the new album ‘For Better Or Hearse’ shows that KIGH are masters of creating infectious choruses. The energy reaches every level of the KOKO even to the very highest floor. Even though I have seen KIGH many times before, this is my first time hearing the new songs performed, and they sound huge to say the least.
A brief cover of Gwen Stefani hit ‘Hollaback Girl’ provides a bit of a joke before exploding into ‘Fisticuffs’ which produces the circle pit that Aled Phillips requests. KIGH sound pleasingly heavy live and have so much more energy than is experienced on CD.
‘The Morning Afterlife’ slows down the pace a fair bit for possibly the slowest song of the set, but this gives Aled Phillips an opportunity to show that he is a natural front man. Strutting around the stage unleashing his powerful vocals, he looks and sounds the part.
The encore consists of 3 great songs ‘Artbreaker II’, ‘Saturday’ and ‘Sunshine’. But it’s ‘Artbreaker II’ that I have been waiting all night to hear. It is without a doubt my favourite KIGH song and it sounds monstrous live tonight with a nice long perfectly executed guitar solo part, its fast pace and the passion with which it is delivered by every member of the band.
Im left surprised at how much tighter they are as a band than the last time I saw them. KIGH are on a steep upward climb which doesn’t look set to stop anytime soon. They have the catchy songs and the ability to put on amazing performances like tonight which could see them rocketing in popularity just like You Me At Six. KIGH have just finished a tour with Lostprophets, maybe it’s not long until they are the ones headlining the huge venues.
Kids In Glass Houses set list:Artbreaker I
The Best Is Yet To Come
Give Me What I Want
Lilli Rose
Young Blood (let it out)
Good Boys Gone Rad
Undercover Lover
For Better or Hearse
Fisticuffs
The Morning Afterlife
Hunt the Haunted
Matters At All
**encore**
Artbreaker II
Saturday
Sunshine
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