N.E.R.D - Brixton Academy
We got the new N.E.R.D. album 'Seeing Sounds' a couple of weeks ago and it's been on high rotation ever since. Both Kimbo and I reckon it's a massive return to form, up there with their 2002 debut, after the likable but kinda hollow 'Fly Or Die'.
So we were both pretty excited to be heading down to their only UK headline show (the band we're over for an appearance at the Isle Of Wight festival last night).
The crowd anticipation was high when we arrived about 9pm (the time the band was scheduled to come one) as the audience proceeded to boo the start of every new pre-recorded song - meaning it would be another few minutes before N.E.R.D. hit the stage.
The show itself got off to a bit of a stuttered start, with the 5-piece band coming on (guitar, bass, keywords, and two drummers) coming on to a massive cheer, doing a quick run through of "Anti-Matter" from the new album; before leaving the stage again. A few minutes latter the full crew returned to the stage led by Pharrell Williams and Shay Haley upfront, while Chad Hugo placed himself behind some keyboards at stage center.
This time the launched into a full version of "Anti-Matter" one of my favorites from the new album. Quickly followed by "Brain" from their debut.
The band sounded very tight - particularly impressive with two drummers. The main trio held things together well. They possibly when a little hard on pushing the new album ("I want all of you to come home and tell 10 friends why they should buy our new album"). Also the show production seemed a little hit-and-miss - some songs had impressive lighting and visuals on a large screen behind the stage, while others seemingly had no lighting at all.
Such was the case for "Spaz" from the new album, although the pre-faced this by saying they we're filming tonight for a music video for this song - which explained the presence of a camera crew on stage during most of the most. It's pretty cool to know the show we were at will be the next N.E.R.D. video - but it did kill the momentum of the night slightly, especially when they stopped to film crowd cut-aways and reaction shots.
Still, over all the show was great with other stand-out tracks including"Lap Dance" and "Rock Star" from 'In Search Of' plus "Maybe" and "Fly or Die" from 'Fly Or Die'.
It was the closing few songs when N.E.R.D. really found their form, from a filthy "Backseat Love" to roof-lifting current single "Everyone Nose", straight into 'Fly Or Die's "She Wants to Move" (which included 20+ "girls" from the crowd dancing on stage). The band then closed with a note-perfect rendition of The White Stripes "7 Nation Army" while Pharrell and Shay rapped the refrain of "Everyone Nose" - "all the girls standing in line at the bathroom" over the top. A suitably strange but impressive way to end a good night.
So we were both pretty excited to be heading down to their only UK headline show (the band we're over for an appearance at the Isle Of Wight festival last night).
The crowd anticipation was high when we arrived about 9pm (the time the band was scheduled to come one) as the audience proceeded to boo the start of every new pre-recorded song - meaning it would be another few minutes before N.E.R.D. hit the stage.
The show itself got off to a bit of a stuttered start, with the 5-piece band coming on (guitar, bass, keywords, and two drummers) coming on to a massive cheer, doing a quick run through of "Anti-Matter" from the new album; before leaving the stage again. A few minutes latter the full crew returned to the stage led by Pharrell Williams and Shay Haley upfront, while Chad Hugo placed himself behind some keyboards at stage center.
This time the launched into a full version of "Anti-Matter" one of my favorites from the new album. Quickly followed by "Brain" from their debut.
The band sounded very tight - particularly impressive with two drummers. The main trio held things together well. They possibly when a little hard on pushing the new album ("I want all of you to come home and tell 10 friends why they should buy our new album"). Also the show production seemed a little hit-and-miss - some songs had impressive lighting and visuals on a large screen behind the stage, while others seemingly had no lighting at all.
Such was the case for "Spaz" from the new album, although the pre-faced this by saying they we're filming tonight for a music video for this song - which explained the presence of a camera crew on stage during most of the most. It's pretty cool to know the show we were at will be the next N.E.R.D. video - but it did kill the momentum of the night slightly, especially when they stopped to film crowd cut-aways and reaction shots.
Still, over all the show was great with other stand-out tracks including"Lap Dance" and "Rock Star" from 'In Search Of' plus "Maybe" and "Fly or Die" from 'Fly Or Die'.
It was the closing few songs when N.E.R.D. really found their form, from a filthy "Backseat Love" to roof-lifting current single "Everyone Nose", straight into 'Fly Or Die's "She Wants to Move" (which included 20+ "girls" from the crowd dancing on stage). The band then closed with a note-perfect rendition of The White Stripes "7 Nation Army" while Pharrell and Shay rapped the refrain of "Everyone Nose" - "all the girls standing in line at the bathroom" over the top. A suitably strange but impressive way to end a good night.
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