The Airborne Toxic Event, Camden Barfly, London
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Your support makes all the difference.Within the intimate, black-walled confines of the Barfly, Californian indie rockers The Airborne Toxic Event are having a lot of fun.
The stage may be undersized for five people, but the Los Angeles outfit, segueing into a mid-song Smiths medley, are performing with the enthusiasm of a teenage garage band at their first gig. In an era of po-faced indie groups who fancy themselves as icons, it's refreshing to watch musicians enjoying a show this much.
Frontman Mikel Jollett assembled the group just months after his mother died and he was diagnosed with autoimmune disease, but watching his band tonight, you'd never believe they grew from such tragic acorns. Punk-tinged tracks like the thudding opener "Papillon" and the sharp-edged "Does This Mean You're Moving On?" are overflowing with verve, while the quieter numbers – "Goodbye Horses", "All for a Woman" – manage to be plaintive rather than pitiable, incorporating Anna Bulbrook's pining violin without succumbing to saccharine pitfalls.
TATE's lyrics do deal with morbid topics, death and war being two notable motifs, but Jollett's vocals ensure that even when he does move into slightly pretentious territory, his hooks are delivered with purpose and belief. What also helps is the singer's affable banter, which reveals a humble, self-effacing, honest humour.
However, this charming chatter certainly doesn't detract from the quality of the performance, from the emotive, personal delivery of "Wishing Well" to the raw force of "Gasoline". The excellent rhythm section know when to drive a song forward, while Steven Chen's lead guitar directs dynamics and tone; the group's experience as a live act is telling, and their easy on-stage chemistry gives each track a springboard to launch from.
With a combination of infectious choruses, insistent riffs and edgy appeal, the only question this show leaves unanswered is: how is this band not bigger?
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