Kids in Glass Houses + Valencia @ Birmingham Barfly – 28th May 2008

With no local support (shame on you Barfly) Valencia are first on, playing to a nearly sold-out crowd. You can tell there are a few hardcore fans in the crowd as the hands hit the air as soon as the Americans walk on stage. The music is lively pop-orientated rock, reminding me of All American Rejects but a little heavier. By the second song the band have small mosh pit going (although it is short lived) and impressive clap-a-longs for such an early set. The band perform well, keeping the mood high as well as the energy levels, although it is obvious that most people are simply waiting for ‘3000 Miles’ the rest of the set, even the two ‘heavy’ ones suffer from their lack of popularity in comparison with their lead single.

Kids in Glass Houses released a new album this week, and this tour is very much to boost record sales. The majority of the set being from ‘Smart Casual’ means that the audience are again waiting for the hits. However, the band that are considered too indie by the emo fans, and too emo by the indie fans put on a great show. The danceable rock combines flavours from both camps to create a surprisingly unique blend; it’s got the passion and power of rock, with the tight grooves of Indy, and just a splash of disco to really add a great dance feel.

The band quickly gets the audience going, tracks from the new album going down well with the young crowd, although when classics like Easy Tiger and Give Me What I Want hit it’s clear to see why the band are doing so well. There are a few moments where the songs feel a little stale, especially mid way through when the new album tracks all start to blend together. The whole audience is singing along to Give Me… with the band letting them do their job for them. It creates an impressive feel of atmosphere in the venue, a real feel of community which is rare these days.

Review – Terra Duff
Photos – Lucy Pryor

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