Live Review: Cold War Kids, Spookyland

The Hi-Fi is already pretty packed for opening act Spookyland with lead singer Marcus Gordon’s unusual drawl infiltrating the crowd.

The band create an impressive wall of sound and spin an intriguing yarn with their lyrics. Adventure Song is the highlight of the set, providing a moment where we can really appreciate Gordon’s imagination and style.

Cold War Kids waste no time throwing themselves into their set. There is a ferocity to their performance that is relentless and captivating this evening. The tambourine gets a hiding from frontman Nathan Willett and every time band members encourage us to clap along, they make us wince at the thought of being on the receiving end of one of their high-fives. The band throws in plenty of material off their latest album, Hold My Home, and recent single First unsurprisingly inspires some serious feels. While they’re keen to try out their newer material on such a captive audience, Cold War Kids don’t skimp on playing hits such as Miracle Mile and Louder Than Ever from earlier albums. Even songs off the Behave Yourself EP, such as Audience and Santa Ana Winds, make an appearance and this dedicated crowd clearly enjoys the diversity.

The crowd is ecstatic when the intro to Hang Me Out To Dry echoes throughout the venue, leading us to believe this is a room full of long-term fans. The crowd sing-along is so enthusiastic that we almost can’t hear Willett’s vocals – almost. This is quickly followed up with another favourite off the Robbers & Cowards album, We Used To Vacation, during which Willett and bassist Matt Maust play fight as they perform. This mid-set throwback, and the overwhelmingly positive response it receives from the audience, keeps the band’s spirits high and allows them to push on with the same tenacity they began with. Cold War Kids are clearly more than a little chuffed to witness such an adoring crowd.

The band are not up for too much chat tonight, and that’s fine, as they leave very little time in between songs and make the most of their allotted time. Closer for the night is Hospital Beds, which once again sees the crowd burst into song. They quickly return for the three-song encore, with Something Is Not Right With Me concluding a brilliant performance.