Los Campesinos! - Concert Review

Photos courtesy of our new photographer, Brian Van Wyk. Thanks Brian!

Last Friday the Cardiff, Wales band Los Campesinos! brought their wonderfully energetic and dark indie pop sound to Vancouver, or “couver” as it is known to the band, playing an early show at the Electric Owl. I loved their new album, Hello Sadness and was psyched to finally see the band, but I was worried that the combination of an 8:30 start time, no opening band and the fact they were at the end of a long tour would drag the energy down of the whole show. Thankfully, I was wrong, and Los Campesinos! put on a fantastic show that demonstrated the best of their repertoire.

Just after 8:30 Gareth Campesinos!, Kim Campesinos!, and the rest of the Campesinos! clan took the stage. They opened with the catchy By Your Hand - which includes one of my favourite lyrics in recent memory “she vomits down my rental tux. I’m not sure if it’s love anymore” - and then went on to a set of the best songs from their many, many, albums. The show waned a little in the middle, when To Tundra sucked the life out of the sell-out audience of indie couples and, while Kim sounded great at other points, she came out flat for The Black Bird, The Dark Slope. However, this was followed up by Gareth grabbing a flute and the band performing the highlight of the show You! Me! Dancing! which had the crowd going nuts. The main show ended after a few more songs, and the band came back out to play Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks which was an amazing ending for a great set that had Gareth running into the audience to sing the last few verses with the fans.

The band lived up to the hype I had given them in my head and despite cramming 7 people on to the small Electric Owl stage were able to put on a lively show. Gareth’s interaction with the audience lived up to the themes of Hello Sadness by playfully picking on all the young couples in the audience. He also ended the main set by giving a shout out to the bands they have toured with in Vancouver and letting the audience know when their upcoming shows are. A classy move that ended a great concert.

Set List
By Your Hand
Romance in Boring
Death to Los Campesinos!
Life is a Long Time
A Heat Rash in the Shape of the Show Me State; or, Letters from Me to Charlotte
Songs About Your Girlfriend
There Are Listed Buildings
Straight in at 101
To Tundra
The Black Bird, The Dark Slope
You! Me! Dancing!
The Sea is a Good Place to Think of the Future
Hello Sadness
Baby I Got The Death Rattle
Encore:
Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks