The Gaslight Anthem found their way into the UK’s hearts and record collections a few years ago, after taking to the stage at major festivals such as Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds. Their feel-good summery rock n’ roll anthems made for the perfect soundtrack to the festival season, but on a cold, dark evening, whilst heading down to see them play their first of two nights in London, all of that feels like a distant memory.
These guys are all about nostalgia though. Think hazy summer evenings, classic cars, dirty denim and faded photographs, and you get a pretty good idea of what The Gaslight Anthem are all about. With this in mind, it seems fitting that a band so heavily influenced by memories of days gone by are playing at a venue with so much history. Perhaps one of London’s lesser known venues, the Troxy is quintessentially British and about as far as you can get from the all-American ideals that have shaped The Gaslight Anthem into the band they are today.
In fact this majestic old cinema, with its sweeping staircases and plush carpets, is so far removed from the band’s New Jersey roots that it sparks a bit of culture shock in lead singer Brian Fallon. He pauses mid-set, pointing to a pink neon sign at the back of the room, which reads ‘cloakroom’, and muses; “To me, a cloakroom would be somewhere where Batman would hang his things, not where you would put a coat! But I’ve been learning that in fact, it is where you put a coat… And if you wait there before your soundcheck, Batman will not show up.”
Fallon’s humour is a hit with the crowd. He’s a man of few words but when he does speak, it feels more like he’s catching up with an old friend over a quiet drink, rather than addressing a room full of strangers that are hanging on his every word. He is effortlessly charismatic, strutting around the stage in sturdy brown boots and a red checkered shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal intricately tattooed arms. Despite his rough and ragged appearance, Fallon comes across as being a friendly, mild-mannered, very likeable frontman and it’s clear that his charm has the crowd wrapped tightly around his little finger.
The rest of the band seem happy to stay out of the limelight, and instead remain focused on giving the crowd good, solid example of exactly how live music should be. They’re loud, they’re lively and they sound incredible but more importantly, they look like they’re enjoying themselves. In between the raw, gravelly vocals and the wailing guitars, are smiles and a genuine sense of passion, which becomes even more apparent every time Fallon looks up from his guitar and fails to hide a huge Cheshire Cat smile at the sight of the crowd.
It’s hard to tell who’s having more fun – the band or the crowd! Every song prompts a singalong and there’s not a face in the room that doesn’t light up upon hearing the opening notes of ‘Great Expectations’. It’s not just the hits that get the crowd going though, in fact it’s quite the opposite.
After being compared to Bruce Springsteen in a million different reviews, it seems that The Gaslight Anthem are ready to start doing things a bit differently. Of course there are far worse people to be associated with, but a band as good as this shouldn’t have to spend their career in the shadow of another artist.
They launch into their set with a whole host of tracks from their latest album, all of which have a slightly rockier edge to them and feel much more accessible than some of their earlier material. Usually a set like this would make people glaze over or head to bar during the songs they don’t know, but these guys are better than that. They seamlessly blend their newer tracks in with well-known songs from ‘The ‘59 Sound’ and ‘American Slang‘, barely giving the crowd a chance to stop and catch their breath as they work their way through an extensive twenty-three-song setlist.
Each song is met with cheering, whooping and shouts of approval, a sure sign that Gaslight have mastered the art of pleasing their fans. Downstairs the crowd are going wild, singing at the top of their lungs, starting mosh pits and launching crowdsurfers out into a sea of sweaty, moving bodies. However the atmosphere upstairs could not be more different, with seated fans tapping their toes, smiling and clapping politely to show their appreciation.
It’s refreshing to see such a range of positive reactions from people of all ages and backgrounds though, rather than a bog-standard gig full of teens that are more intent on pushing and shoving than enjoying the music. This crowd are far more mature, but maybe that’s because The Gaslight Anthem are for those who have lived a little. The honest, heartfelt lyrics of title track ‘Handwritten’ are reminiscent of better days and as Fallon’s deep, gravelly voice sings “I know there’s someone out there feeling just how I feel” it’s clear that he’s right. Just one look at the crowd reveals fans sporting t-shirts emblazoned with the band’s logo, arms tattooed with lyrics to their songs and smiles spread across weathered faces that have all been there before.
Review and Photography by Liz Murray
