Loading...
poplist's Collection

The Strokes   06/28/2001

Heaven, London, England
Media cdr   1 disc
Notes HEAVEN
LONDON, ENGLAND
JUNE 28TH 2001

1)Is This It (3:04)
2)The Modern Age (3:36)
3)Soma (3:27)
4)Barely Legal (4:10)
5)Someday (3:23)
6)Alone Together (3:14)
7)Last Nite (3:41)
8)Hard To Explain (4:08)
9)NYC Cops (4:01)
10)Trying Your Luck (3:30)
11)Take It Or Leave It (4:03)

Set List Information courtesy of The Strokes Concert Chronology

Reviews:
THE STROKES played their biggest headline gig to date at a packed HEAVEN nightclub in central LONDON last night (June 28), at a show that was the hottest ticket in town so far this year.

With fans paying touts up to ?150 for a ticket outside the venue, there had been an equal clamour for stars to get on the guest list, with Neil Tennant from Pet Shop Boys, Danny Goffey from Supergrass, Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde, plus comedian Sean Hughes and actor John Simm among the 1,000-capacity audience crammed into the sauna-like venue. Also spotted were one-time collaborators David McAlmont and Bernard Butler who put their differences behind them for a chat in the bar.

The band took the stage at 11 o'clock, and played a concise set that ran through their forthcoming album 'Is This It', with frontman Julian Casablancas saying little between songs.

The show got off to a slightly turbulent start, with several plastic pint pots being thrown at the stage, one of which hit Casablancas on the head and another hitting guitarist Nick Valensi, before they had completed the second song 'The Modern Age'.

Although surprised by the missiles, the band got on with their set and the audience was drenched in sweat and heaving in a moshpit. Casablancas only spoke to thank support bands Mull Historical Society and Moldy Peaches, and the audience for coming along "to our biggest headline gig", although he did made sly reference to the people huddled in the back bar during song 'Last Nite', in which he added the line: "The people standing at the back they don't understand".

He also made reference to injured drummer Fab, who was replaced by friend of the band Matt Romano after breaking his hand last week, forcing cancellation of three shows on their sell-out debut UK tour. Fab later briefly came onstage to hug each member of the band.

Last night's gig, however, was a triumphant end to the tour.

Review II:
The Strokes
Heaven, London
28 June 2001
Reviewed by Vinyl Blair

Three hours before doors open and the touts are fuming. It is an indication of how steep the trajectory of The Strokes rise to fame has been, that although tickets went on sale only two months ago, none of London's gracious "ticket brokers" had the foresight to buy in advance. As soon as they do get their well-manicured fingers on one of the magic pibk slips, it is sold almost immediately for ?150.

It seems like 200 degrees inside, and the indie boys who have chosen to follow our heroes in the way of the suit are paying for it in sweat.

Mull Historical Society are phenomenally dull, but this could just be they company they're keeping. The Moldy Peaches have the hall in stitches with their tourette's ridden Beat Happening tribute.

Despite the bar-chat, they are gloriously shambolic, a particular highlight being Adam's attempts to acoustically recreate increasingly OTT guitar solos. Then after an intro of Grand Funk's We're an American Band on they stride.

Is this It begins, a run through of the album in sequence, which lasts just under 40 minutes, although it feels like 10.

After becoming increasibly jaded with the live experience lately, it takes two bars of Modern Age for your trusty correspondent to hit the front, feeling for all the world like he's 18 years old again.

A more traditional rock approach that on record renders all rational thought pointless, with every member of the band sweating charisma, despite being a little overawed at the reaction they receive.

That they ain't gonna abandon us for Kate, Helena and Linda anytime soon (key change of lyric: "The people at the back, they don't understand"), and is swiftly followed by a rampant Hard to Explain.

Set (and album) closer Take it Or Leave It, with Julian screaming the title over and over again, as if he's about to awake from a particularly rock'n'roll wet dream.

As they leave the stage I take stock and realise that I have melted.
Trades Allowed Yes
Ratings Sound: A
Reference / Generation 0001425192
Owned by poplist · Last Updated May 23, 2023