Cute Is What We Aim For + Boys Like Girls @ Birmingham Academy 2 – 31st May 2008
We The Kings kicked off tonight’s gig at a sold out Academy 2. According to the front row of the crowd, they were an excellent choice of support. Listening to the volume of cheers as they entered the stage, it seemed as many people were here to see them as the other 2 bands. Shaggy haired front man Travis Clarke stripped off to reveal an NSync t-shirt, which got a few chuckles, but probably would have worked better on a US audience. They played fast and furiously, very fast in fact, their set only lasting 20 minutes, but being as their current album only lasts 30 minutes, it was a bit of a skank that they didn’t just carry on and play all their songs?
Confusingly, up next were Cute is What We Aim For. Being as they were on the bill as the headliners, it appeared that this was going to be an extremely short gig. Opening with ‘Newport’ the crowd went crazy. Pausing briefly between songs to greet the crowd in an awful but humorous attempt at an English accent, they seemed to have an element of early Incubus about them? Storming through the set, lead singer Shaant joked with the crowd how he had to miss the first couple of tour dates due to passport mishaps and the US government. This raised a few laughs from the crowd, but mainly a sigh of relief that he’d made it for this one. Tracks from new album ‘Rotation’ went down well, and their performance of ballad ‘Lyrical Lies’ got the crowd swaying and the camera phones in the air. Again though, a really short set, playing only 7 songs in total, you couldn’t help but wonder how they had gotten a headline tour, with a set lasting around 40 minutes at the most. They are back on tour in the UK later this year, hopefully with more material.
I’m still not sure why Boys Like Girls headlined and CIWWAF didn’t as no one seemed to know, but they certainly performed as if they should have been. Entering the stage in complete darkness, they opened with ‘Hero/Heroine’. Having removed the floor speakers at the front of the stage, Boys Like Girls had room to jump and mosh around, much to the delight of the crowd. Spitting water into the sweaty audience below, the room erupted into frenzy as they started the next song.
They played an amazing set and it was easy to forget they were supposed to be the support band tonight. Saying that though, a large portion of female members of the crowd did disappear half way through the set as members of the previous bands appeared at the merch stand to sign autographs and pose for photos. BLG’s carried on regardless, and songs like ‘Let Go’ and ‘Broken Man’ were highlights. Once again though, a really short set, playing 8 songs and lasting around 45 minutes, I left tonight feeling like I’d been sold short. I’m not sure if it was due to lack of material or other commitments that meant tonight’s gig didn’t last long, but I really felt sorry for the fans, who some of which had camped out since 3am the previous night to be first in the queue. They certainly have the sound, the fans and the stage presence; hopefully next time they play the UK they will have a set that lasts at least an hour.
Review & Photos – Lucy Pryor