His band, who you might just have heard of, are in the middle of a set that completely disproves their singer's modest admission. The truth is that, right now, The Strokes have plenty to say, and as usual it's more about the way they say it than anything else.
 | | The Strokes (pic: Karen McBride) |
Whilst their new album might not live up to the perfection of the previous two (mainly because it's too long), it is in a live setting that these guys really shine, swapping studio pomposity for gut busting, head spinning rock n roll. They might look like a bunch of manufactured pretty boys but as they crank out awesome tunes like Last Nite and Whatever Happened, Someday and The End Has No End, none of that matters.
 | | The Strokes (pic: Karen McBride) |
On top of that, any misgivings about First Impressions Of Earth are immediately forgotten. The best cuts from the new record, songs like Juicebox or the wonderfully aggressive Heart In A Cage sound as if they were made to be played in front of a seething horde of sweaty Mancunian punters. After a symbolic thrashing out of Take It Or Leave It, they're off, the performance seeming over all to quickly. It's jaw dropping stuff though, and probably the coolest thing the Apollo is likely to see in a long time.
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