More photos from the night can be viewed here.
The evening began with two incredible but very different support acts – a solo singer-songwriter affair with an electro-acoustic guitar and an unwashed look about him, and an astounding and electrifying indie-rock band called Gold Teeth that fall somewhere between Hard-Fi and The Maccabees. The latter band were charismatic and friendly, and made the time to talk to fans, sign CDs and generally make a nuisance of themselves (in a good way) after their set; watch this space to find out more about them soon.
After a wait of slightly too long, Athlete took to the stage and began an utterly breathtaking set. The alternative rock ballads that have so defined Athlete as a band are a picture of brilliance live – ‘Tourist’, ‘Twenty Four Hours’ and ‘Half Light’ were serious crowd pleasers, and there was a real new dimension to the songs being performed that isn’t there on the recorded versions. They chose just the right mix of old and new songs, showing their eloquent performance style, effortless musical extravagance, and their natural ability to connect completely with a sold-out audience on the very first night of their tour. The band are totally comfortable on stage, and are a joy to watch. Athlete really are what seeing a band live is all about.
The selection of new songs played were in the same vein as Athlete’s most popular songs from the ‘Tourist’ album, but certainly showed a degree of development and new creativity beyond anything they’ve done before. Frontman Joel Pott successfully managed to forget his lyrics on more than one occasion, but Athlete are one of few acts who can fuck up a song entirely and still retain composure, charisma and grace. If anything, the audience at Waterfront loved him more for the slip-ups; contrary to popular belief, it seems rock stars are only human underneath their beauty and lifestyle.
If you haven’t seen Athlete live yet, they come highly recommended from The Blue Walrus. If they’re not playing near you, make absolutely sure you pick up a copy of the new album (due out in August) – the new material is well worth a listen.