Presidents of the United States of America

Kicking off with a cover may well ignite crowds in an instant, but it doesn’t exactly display much originality, does it? With their nineties heyday long gone, guitar popster The Presidents Of The USA are creeping further and further into the depths of middle age. Even with their trumping rendition of ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ opening the show, it’s safe to assume that this gig’s going to be trading solely on past achievements.

Upgraded at the last minute from Birmingham’s Academy II (a more intimate and appropriate venue) to the main room downstairs, the gaps in the crowd are mesmerising in the massiveness. One thousand people may sound like a lot, but left lingering in a three thousand capacity hall, the echoing sparseness overshadows any atmospheric excitement the band try to conjure.

Still, with the odds stacked against them, the thrifty three-piece give it their best shot. They’re not out to promote anything (anyone likely to buy last year’s average beyond average ‘Love Everybody’ LP will have already done so), tonight’s all about playing hits for the fans.

Don’t underestimate their jovial back-catalogue. More than just ‘Lump’ and ‘Peaches’, both shining in their simplicity performed on tonight’s stage, The Presidents Of The USA have plenty more three-minute pop snacks stashed in their tuck box. ‘Dune Buggy’, ‘Tiki God’ and infinitely catchy ‘Volcano’ offer Beyond The Chart Hits tunery that has everyone pulling off the most expansive dance moves they can come up with to try and fill the massive spaces between everyone.

Ultimately though, the band are a victim to the venue, and the whole thing feels distant and anticlimactic. There was a time when a Presidents Of The USA gig was something to get excited about, but it now that their success quota’s long been filled, the whole process seems a little futile and overly forgettable.

FUTURE GIGS

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