LIVE // Julian Casablancas // The Forum, London // 16.12.09
Julian Casablancas served up an evening of disappointment to a packed-out crowd at the Kentish Town Forum on Wednesday night in the second of his two shows at the North London venue. The Strokes frontman was embarking on his first shows as a solo artist in the U.K. and logically the hype was there, the expectation apparent. But on the night, it all turned out somewhat flat.
A dreary opening of ‘Ludlow Street’ failed to ignite a hopeful throng. Playing most of the set in the murky shadows of dim dark blue lighting, the band did not remotely sound like they do on the record ‘Phrazes For The Young’.
Casablancas got up-close and friendly with the crowd as he and the band performed synth-pop single ’11th Dimension’, an epic Strokes-esque chorus on record, but delivered softly in a live environment. He continued with album tracks ‘Out Of The Blue’, ‘4 Chords Cf The Apocalypse’ and the crowd-pleasing stripped-down version of The Strokes’ ‘I’ll Try Anything Once‘, an alternative B-side version of ‘You Only Live Once’.
Casablancas forgot the lyrics and had to re-start.
His ridiculous banter with the crowd exclaiming how ‘awesome’ they were, contributed to the circus that the gig was. The slow going ‘Glass’ and ‘Tourist’ ensue, adding to the debacle. What is particularly sad about these, is that both tracks are marvellous on record. Julian and his ensemble simply never unearthed that same resonance when performing. The crowd were disinterested and underwhelmed; the clattering reverberation and exhilaration that one longs for at a live show was non-existent. Patrons were making a premature departure.
After a sonically lacklustre hour-long show from Casablancas immediately turns our thoughts of the return of The Strokes in 2010. Julian Fernando Casablancas will sparkle again.
By James From Staines
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