Carling Live Sessions @ The Barfly - 15th July '04
With The Specials� Terry Hall and Hope Of The States packed into the now rammed to the rafters Barfly, it�s time for the newly found kings of scum and sleaze to take to the stage. Razorlight have literally exploded over the last few months with a top 3 album and top 20 single, so right now things couldn�t get much better for the four-piece. There�s definitely a magical feeling in the air as Johnny Borrell launches into �Rip It Up� as bassist Carl Dalemo pogos on the spot, guitarist Bjorn Agren pulls suitably cooler than thou shapes and drummer Andy Burrows speeds through the song faster than a hare straight out a trap. Forthcoming single �Vice� cranks out creating a mass of thriving bodies who sing every word right back at Borrell. The energy in the Barfly builds and builds with every song � what other bands can play tracks back-to-back like �Dalston�, �Up All Night� and �Which Way Is Out�? These are point perfect indie pop songs tainted with art-rock styled jutting basslines interplaying with angular guitar riffs and rhythms which actually challenge the rules.
�It�s great to be back at the Barfly� shouts Borrell before cranking out the opening riff to �Stumble And Fall� inducing near-hysteria in the front rows. With the temperature starting to cause havoc with the guitar tuning, Borrell spends a lot of �Rock N� Roll� Lies� and �Leave Me Alone� swapping guitars but never missing a note showing the true maturity the he�s developed over the last two years on stage. The poetic tale of London rock n� roll life in the epic �In The City� sees Borrell spill out the words like a teenage Dylan as he strips off his drenched vest and drives the crowd into a euphoric frenzy. The stop/start Television inspired song is thrashed out to its screeching climax bringing an end to the incredible set and a welcome breather for the band. Luckily there�s time for one last song and the four-piece return to the stage for the most fitting song of the night, �Golden Touch�. It�s a night of musical history in the making and as XFM�s John Kennedy notes �probably the last time you�ll ever get to see Razorlight at the Barfly� and as the lucky few hundred sweat drenched fans make their way into the drizzle of London�s so called �summer� you know this will be one gig never forgotten.
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