Gig: The Struts @ Roundhouse, London
The Struts by Isla Kerr
Autumn is well and truly here but with the heat emitting from London’s Roundhouse on Sunday night it would have been easy to forget about the change of season. Why the heat you ask? Why The Grand Union tour of Barns Courtney and The Struts of course!
Barns Courtney
Watching Barns Courtney on stage it's hard not to be transfixed by his adrenaline fuelled character. Tonight he bursts onto stage as if he is an animal set loose from its chains. Accompanied by the accomplished Andrew Berkeley Martin on guitar, Jermaine Butler on bass and Brittany Mac on drums they make a convincing image of a rock band straight from the 80’s.
Barns swings his mic, Andrew throws his guitar, Jermaine plays bass with effortless style and Brittany pounds the drums.
A fitting second song came in the form of “London Girl”. From Barns 2019 album 404 it is an undeniably fun and fast track that riled the London crowd up effortlessly well tonight.
Jumping on and off the drum kit as if it were a stepping stone, Barns infectious attitude only seemed to grow as the show went on. He crowd surfed from one outreached hand to another before raising himself up to a standing position only to fall back down into the sea of hands once more.
Barns Courtney is one of those musicians that simply has to be seen to be believed. It feels like his energy stems from a bottomless pit of contagious gasoline.
The Struts
As four sets of white cowboy boots strutted onto stage and the audience squealed in delight it was proved, The Struts are never not one to live up to their name. Luke Spiller (vocals) is only comparable to a horse as he canters around the stage with all the presence of an actor plucked straight from a west-end show. A performance that, at times, felt as if you’d sneaked behind the curtain at a cabaret show.
“Dirty Sexy Money” sent the crowd into an early frenzy as they sang along word for word while jumping up and down. The brand new track “Can’t Stop Talking” involved some audience participation and was an instant hit. The Struts fanbase are an adoring group who you can see sticking with the band no matter what direction their music follows next.
None other than smash hit “Could Have Been Me” drew the night to a close and what a way to sign off. A night of frivolous fun right from the get-go. Barns Courtney and The Struts are reminiscent of rockstars of old and put on a show worthy of comparison.
