Northeast indie-rock trio, Little Comets, graced the stage of Brighton’s Concorde 2 for the fourth time since 2012 on Sunday night. A sold out show, the room was packed to the rafters with music lovers of all ages, demonstrating that the gig-goers of the city are anything but tired of the bands electric live performances.
The last night of a nine-date headline tour, the boys were on top form, as per usual, as they took to the stage, following an energetic performance from support band, Minnesotan newcomers, Hippo Campus. Opening their hour long set, the crowd erupted as a catchy guitar riff symbolized the start of ‘Little Italy’, the fifth song from the bands most recent album, Hope Is Just A State Of Mind. Predominantly splitting their set between the iconic, old faithful tunes of their debut, In Search Of Elusive Little Comets, and the slower, more thoughtful songs of their newest album, the crowd was treated to the full array of talents possessed by a band who have spent eight years perfecting their sound. Nevertheless, indie hits such as ‘Joanna’, ‘One Night In October’, and ‘Adultery’ are performed with the enthusiasm and passion of a group who are performing these songs for the very first time.
Although lead singer Robert Coles is not one for conversing with the audience, this is of little matter. The band remain as humble as ever, effortlessly drifting from song to song without pause, except to thank the audience and all those who have contributed to the bands success. The set list is a work of art. Little Comets’ classics merge seamlessly with the slower paced harmonies of ‘My Boy William’ and ‘The Blur, The Line, And The Thickest Of Onions’. The emotion of the performance is palpable as Robert sings “I cut all the pages from a magazine / so my boy stays true enough to dream”. This is a side of the band we rarely get a glimpse of.
Crowd pleaser, ‘Dancing Song’, makes an unexpected appearance mid-way through the set, it’s playful melodies usually reserved for the encore. At the finish of the last song of their set, the band leave the stage, disappointing the fans who stick around until well after the lights go on, hoping for another song. It looks like I, along with many others, will simply have to wait in anticipation, until the next time.
Words by Kate Eldridge