It’s fair to say we’ve all been treated excessively with the amount of albums that have been released this year. We’ve seen the return of teenage icons, welcomed new bands onto the scene in a tremendous fashion and supported British rock music like no other. One band in particular who have stormed their way back onto the scene and into the charts are Lower Than Atlantis. As soon as ‘Here We Go’ was released back in June it was obvious that the band were coming back with a bang and the new, self-titled album was going to be an absolute corker.
Months passed and it’s finally here. Their fourth studio record is full of huge, anthemic choruses, the guitar chords are meaty and Mike Duce’s vocal still remains on top form. So, obviously the only way to celebrate the release was for Lower Than Atlantis to completely take over The Monarch pub in Camden. Renamed ‘The Atlantis’ the pub included branded pint glasses and beer mats and the venue was full of lucky fans who’d won a spot in the crowd for the evening performance.
Taking to the tiny stage, Lower Than Atlantis were met with a loud round of applause and cheers of congratulations before they then started the fun with single ‘English Kids in America’. We were then met, surprisingly with tracks ‘Love Someone Else’, ‘If The World Was To End’ and other older material. Although we did get our first chance to hear ‘Ain’t No Friend’ and ‘Emily’ from the new record, we couldn’t help but feel somewhat disappointed; it was the album launch show after all.
This isn’t to say their stage presence was a disappointment; the band delivered each track flawlessly, working the crowd inbetween taking sips from bottles of champagne, but when the album has some incredibly outstanding tracks on it, including ‘Stays The Same’ and ‘Damn Nation’ the anticipation to hear them live was high. After a swift thirty-minute set it was all over and the atmosphere fell a little flat. What we all saw was good, great infact, but we all know what we would have preferred was more than a glamourised Festival set.
The party then continued on into the early hours, with DJs playing noughties anthems and the alcohol flowing freely, it really was a fantastic way to celebrate one of the best bands our country has to offer. Though the set didn’t quite live up to expectations, it’s undeniable that Lower Than Atlantis are champions of the British rock scene right now and that in itself is something to be proud of.
TAMSYN WILCE