It’s a bitter night, with frost and fog forecast, in fact the weather-girl has suggested to stay at home unless necessary. Stay at home and miss Athlete? No chance!

The Civic Halls have moved the box office yet again, so the guest-list is inside the Wulfrun and not in the Little Civic where it used to be. That sounds confusing and trying to keep up with the box office location is confusing. Anyway I get in the venue just as first support, TapeTheRadio are on. Never heard anything of them, they are a three piece band, very melodic and the vocal almost remind me of early Cure. The lead singer states he’s from Kidderminster, but I have to admit I’m not aware of any local press coverage. More details are on their Myspace page and new single ‘Stay Inside’ is out now. Certainly worth a listen.

Next we have As Tall As Lions, again new on me, they open with an instrumental which is a hideous noise of almost Jazz racket. Formed some eight years ago they have released three albums, but these failed to dent the US charts and I’m not entirely sure they even saw release here in the UK. Sadly once the vocalist takes to the stage (nice shirt by the way) things do not improve and at one point it sounds as though the six members are each playing a different song. At one point the trumpet player cuts in a chorus of ‘Move on up’, which is the highlight of their thirty minute set. Special mention to the bass player who was clearly enjoying himself, looking like Rolf Harris on speed. “We’re from New York and it’s the first time we’ve been in your city”. I feel it may be a one-off visit.

Athlete are a band who have not had the recognition they deserve, much like Elbow prior to their Mercury Music Award. Of course they did receive an Ivor Novello Award for the beautiful ‘Wires’ but apart from that they seem to miss the radar. Tonight is the last night of a tour to promote the Black Swan album, released after they had split with their record label. The sound is clear, the lyrics poignant, and everyone is enjoying themselves.

As it’s the last night I’m free to give a set-list (courtesy of the very gorgeous lighting lady). Opening with ‘El Salvador’ from the Vehicles and Animals album the set picks on all albums. After ’Tourist’ Joel Pott asks for a round of applause for a “small boy down here who was in the video for that song, and we’ve not seen him since then” before making his way over and thanking the lad personally.
Joel also comments on the size of his towel tonight, which he opens to reveal a bath sheet, “I’m not going to sweat that much”. He speaks with the crowd like they’re an old friend in the pub, having a drink and he genuinely seems a good down-to-earth bloke.
It’s his sister’s birthday, Kate, and also a roadie called Rabbit, who is led centre stage before the crowd sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to them both. The crowd is lit up but as Joel says “don’t put the lights up ‘cause you won’t see her in here”.

The encore is pure genius ’Rubik’s Cube’, ‘Wires’, Half Light’ , three complete classics. They were justified in having the Ivor Novello for Wires, it’s a stunning track that should be on everyone’s ipod and it is sung by the whole crowd word for word. In fact the crowd sing-a-long with every track, almost festival style and it’s the most receptive crowd I’ve seen in the Wulfrun.

Outside the temperature has indeed dropped but no-one has noticed. What a simply brilliant show. Athlete deserve to be massive.

El Salvador
Hurricane
Superhuman Touch
Tourist
Black Swan Song
24 Hours
Magical Mistakes
One Million
Wild Wolves
The Outsiders
Westside
You Got The Style
The Getaway
Rubik’s Cube
Wires
Half Light

Review - Glenn Raybone
Photos - Heather Tait