Live Review: The Gaslight Anthem, Dave Hause

Finding any sort of consistent crowd demographic is a futile endeavour tonight. Girls, guys; young, old; tall, short; inked, clean. Everyone standing in The Tivoli is created from different strains, but our common musical passion remains the same. After a cold reception from the powers that be outside the venue, things are much warmer and inviting within. Keeping it honest from the outset is Dave Hause, whose endearing rebel rousing is sent out with nothing but conviction. Fans of The Loved Ones are happy to hear Jane, while solo tracks like Autism Vaccine Blues and C'mon Kid are delivered in both electric and acoustic mode. He even manages to split the room at one stage and get near-on-everyone trading chorus lines, his charisma making it feel like you have no other choice but to sing.

There's barely time for a beer before the lights cut to dark and The Gaslight Anthem arrive on stage to a hero's reception, diving straight into their most recent LP with the rock out one-two of Handwritten and Howl. Brian Fallon's voice sounds a darn sight better than Soundwave 2011, while guitarist Alex Rosamilia and bass player Alex Levine are making the ladies swoon from either side of the stage. There's nothing of note visually as far as a backdrop is concerned, but the group are bolstered by the additional riffs of Ian Perkins, the touring member freeing up Rosamilia to really slice the songs with his high-end lines, while letting Fallon give his everything centre stage. Their setlist is deep, going right back to their debut album (Angry Johnny & The Radio, 1930) and even touching on their EP of 2008, Señor & The Queen; however, it's their 2012 album Handwritten which gets the most love, with close to the entire record getting an airing over the course of their 20-song set. 45 sounds out as one of the highlights of the night. People are up on shoulders gesturing their open arms to the stage. A beard alliance are playing air guitar to their respective ladies. And everyone is smiling, screaming the lyrics out with an energy that borders on hysteria. More refrained numbers of their canon like The Queen Of Lower Chelsea are embraced by the sold-out room also, but it's definitely tunes like Great Expectations which punters are in-house to hear. Fallon chats with the crowd in bursts, his dry wit and wide smile welcome by all, but for the most part tonight is business, and after a five-song encore rounds things out, you have to agree that for The Gaslight Anthem, right now, business is good.