With 'Quicken The Heart' taking the number one spot in the midweek album charts, the band took to the stage in a jubilant mood, and set their stall out with a furious rip through early single 'Graffiti'. The band followed this with 'Wraithlike', and 'The Penultimate Clinch', the opening tracks from the album, and given the reception they received, there could be no question that the fans have had it on repeat for the last few days.
Despite being dogged by poor sound for the opening part of the set, the band soldiered on, and by the time 'Our Velocity' kicked in, normal service was resumed. Even the typically stoic Duncan Lloyd appeared to enjoy himself at times. Paul Smith, who is rarely seen without a smile on his face, seemed to particularly relish the return to the live arena, with his trademark leaps betraying his enjoyment.
Unsurprisingly, new tracks made up a large proportion of the set tonight, but already many of them sound right at home in the set. 'A Cloud Of Mystery' and current hook-laden single 'The Kids Are Sick Again' deserve particular mention, having seemingly lodged themselves in the collective fans' consciousness already.
As they closed the main set with the buzzsaw attack of 'Girls Who Play Guitar', the band looked spent. However, getting away without an encore was unthinkable, and they returned to the stage to a heroes' welcome. The encore opened in melancholy fashion with brand new track 'That Beating Heart', a typically heartfelt number in the vein of 'Acrobat' which is clearly destined to accompany an upcoming single. 'Questing, Not Coasting' was given a more upbeat treatment than it receives on the album, which unfortunately seemed to detract from it's undoubted beauty.
Somewhat predictably, the show was closed in the usual manner with 'Apply Some Pressure' and as usual it received the biggest ovation of the night. Sometimes I wonder whether the band ever think of changing this. It may be their most well known song, but it is by no means their best. The fans love it though, so obviously it does something right.
Having fought to gain recognition for years, Maximo Park are now clearly relishing their new status amongst the heavyweights of the UK scene. That they manage to enjoy it, whilst still appearing refreshingly 'local' is to their credit, and no doubt one of the reasons they sold out two nights at this venue in less than ten minutes.
FUTURE GIGS
- date performer venue price
-
Fri 11 Oct 2024
Maximo Park
Edinburgh
Queens Hall
[EH8 9JG] £27.50
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Tue 15 Oct 2024
Maximo Park
Leeds
Leeds Beckett University
[LS1 3HE] £27.50
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Wed 16 Oct 2024
Maximo Park
Norwich
The Waterfront
[NR1 1QH] £27.50
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Fri 18 Oct 2024
Maximo Park
Islington
Islington Assembly Hall
[N1 2UD] £29.50
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Sat 19 Oct 2024
Maximo Park
Islington
Islington Assembly Hall
[N1 2UD] £29.50
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Sun 20 Oct 2024
Maximo Park
Brighton
Concorde 2
[BN2 1EN] £27.50
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Tue 22 Oct 2024
Maximo Park
Bristol
Trinity Centre
[BS2 0NW] £27.50
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Wed 23 Oct 2024
Maximo Park
Birmingham
Town Hall
[B3 3DQ] £27.50
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Thu 24 Oct 2024
Maximo Park
Sheffield
The Leadmill
[S1 4SE] £27.50
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Sat 26 Oct 2024
Maximo Park
Newcastle upon Tyne
The Boilershop
[NE1 3PD] £27.50
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Sun 27 Oct 2024
Maximo Park
Newcastle upon Tyne
The Boilershop
[NE1 3PD] £27.50
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