Albert Hammond Jr

The five piece certainly performed their last two numbers with some gusto and the crowd appeared to have already warmed to them by the time I arrived, creating a positive atmosphere inside the Gorilla. This was my first time at the venue and I wasn't disappointed. The back wall of the stage area resembles the interior of a spaceship from a creaky old science fiction movie. The blinking lights and metallic surfaces certainly contribute to a pleasingly retro feel and the lousy mood I'm in starts to dissipate, vanishing completely moments later as AHJ saunters onto the stage looking every bit like Ryan Gosling from 'Drive' in his blood red jacket, embossed with the snarling hound from his 2013 AHJ EP cover. Picking up the ubiquitous white fender stratocaster, Albert and his band don't mess around, launching straight into 'Rocket', from second album '¿Como Te LLama?'

It could be argued that touring an EP of only five tracks twice in six months is potentially a rash thing to be doing. Not in the case of a musician of AHJ's calibre. Despite having only recorded two long players as well as the aforementioned EP in almost eight years, the set list consisted of over twenty fat-free tracks. Indeed, it appeared to have been split in half by songs of differing styles. Albert's association with The Strokes means he will always be regarded as a New Yorker, but his music brings with it many different influences. Dressed in black, his outfit is complimented by striking red braces and Doc Martins, it would be fair to say one of the key influences during this opening half of the show is the British punk and ska movement of the late 70s/early 80s. Songs such as 'Carnal Cruise', 'Victory at Monterey' and 'Cooker Ship' are delivered at a breakneck pace and Albert's energetic, aggressive delivery brings to mind performers such as Hugh Cornwell of The Stranglers or Pete Shelley from The Buzzcocks. As if to confirm the importance of these reference points, the band deliver a bristling cover of the latter's 'Ever Fallen in Love?', which has the crowd bouncing in appreciation. In fact, the pace of this opening salvo of songs appears to take it's toll on AHJ and he begins to look decidedly uncomfortable on stage, consuming water whenever breaks in the set allow him. At one point, covered in sweat, Albert remarks that he is "dying up here" and I become slightly concerned that the show may come to an abrupt end.

It may have been fortunate then that the second half of the set brought with it a slight change of pace, demonstrating further influences and inspirations that Albert has brought to his solo records. 'Call an Ambulance' (which we thankfully did not have to do!) and 'In Transit' off 2006 album 'Yours to Keep' provide an upbeat, more rhythmic spirit to proceedings. This slight change in pace and tone seems to provide a much-needed tonic and AHJ begins to look more comfortable all of a sudden. That's not to say that proceedings slow down completely; the spiky 'Postal Blowfish' explodes like a hand grenade, and other highlights are quick to arrive in the form of The Beach Boys inspired 'GfC' and third single off the AHJ EP, 'Strange Tidings', probably the most perfect song off the record, dark, melancholy, hinting at the black times that have contributed to much of the EP's themes, and so damn catchy. There is room for one final surprise of the night and it comes in the form of The Strokes track, 'One Way Trigger' from the underrated 2013 album 'Comedown Machine'. The Strokes have not toured this material yet, so this performance is the first live airing of the track, and it feels like a real privilege to experience it in the confines of such a small venue. Albert's compatriot Julian Casablancas has a much more controlled falsetto required for the song, but this is still a massively enjoyable moment to be a part of and despite health concerns midway through the show, the night absolutely lives up to expectations. There aren't many performers who can deliver such a killer set from only three releases, but it is the manner of the performance that lingers. Here is an artist revelling in his own journey and I left the venue safe in the knowledge that Albert Hammond Jr. would still be providing the tunes to the soundtrack of my life for the remainder of 2014 and beyond.

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