Monday 8th October 2008 @ Academy, Bristol
With Support From: Saw Pad, Loney Dear

Last night the Bristol Academy saw the phenomenal performance of the UK chart topping band Athlete on their UK tour.

The evening kicked off at 7.30 with first support, London’s Sad Paw. Their alternative rock music and style really warmed up the evening, preparing us for what was to come, giving the crowd a chance to grab a few pints and fight for a patch. They ended their slot with a big mention to Athlete, the mention of whom of course saw an eruption of cheers from the sell out crowd.

Loney Dear, a fusion of soul and folk hailing from Sweden were next up and entered the stage with an intense applause from the buzzing Bristol crowd. Their upbeat sound had the crowd and me rocking. NME truly sums up my thoughts, describing this unique “Snow Patrol-like” band as “an aural hug”.

The group finished up their half hour slot with a massive shout out for their new album Loney Dear. Loney Noir and, of course a big thanks to Athlete for their carriage on the tour.

As Loney Dear left with thunderous applaud, so Athlete crept on to setup for their headlining performance. Teasing the crowds with tracks from The Chemical Brothers and a half an hour interval proved effective and when the stage turned electric blue a colossal roar broke out.

A fantastic electro intro melody from their new track Airport Disco dragged the fans closer to the stage in awe of Athlete. Suddenly the band broke onto the stage playing their first electrifying tune; Tokyo, well and truly shaking the Bristol Academy. Following up from their entry piece, Athlete jumped straight into the crowd pleaser You’ve Got T Style. They effortlessly had the crowd chanting and dancing to the chart topping track, surely things couldn’t get any better!

After playing a few of their new and old tracks, Athlete who had already created a pretty awesome atmosphere did something extra special when they pulled out the tear-jerker; Wires. Looking around at the hundreds of friends and lovers embracing each other as Joe Pott’s beautifully sang the well known lyrics. The crowd now simply could not get enough, song after song the crowd demanded more and more. By 10.15 Athlete had played at least five breath-taking tracks and quite riskily replayed Wires BUT this time round they took advantage of the mesmerising backdrop displaying mind-blowing abstract images and shapes which rocked the crowd tremendously!

As the night drew to an end, the audience would simply not let them leave stage! After several song replays and a heart-warming performance of Beautiful it was time for Athlete to hop back on their tour bus to head over to Southampton for their next stunning performance.

Last night was without a doubt outstanding. It was clear to see from the faces that surrounded me at the Bristol Academy it was a gleaming success!

www.athlete.mu

Andy Fox
Photos: Dan Marks