aaamusic | On 23, Dec 2010

London, 15th December

The Whigs have been around for a while, yet there is something about them that reminds me of new bands. Perhaps is due to the fact that they toured with the likes of Kings Of Leon and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club or their ‘at ease’ attitude, which makes them accessible yet not exploited (yet).

Despite the cold weather, The Borderline is pretty full tonight. As soon as the first notes kick in it is clear that these guys will be big in UK in 2011. They have all that it takes: great tunes and attitude, a sound which does not dig too much in the Americana trend and tries – succeeding – to be unique.

Their music hits you like a punch in the stomach: it’s energetic, has personality, grows into you and makes you dance. The audience seems to agree with me: they are all drowned in the set, which included Like A Vibration, Black Lotus, Half The World, Hot Bed, Already Young and new single Hundred/Million, as well as being in adoration of guitarist Parker Gispert and his scissor kicks moves, who manages to capture the audience attention within minutes.

One after the other, the trio plays tunes as if they were pulling tricks from a hat: one better than the other, all of them leaving the crowd mesmerized and craving for more.

The gig leaves me a bittersweet taste in my mouth: I cannot wait for the new album to be released and for the February shows. A must go gig.

Author: Tim Smith