When: 26 May 2012
Where: The Bodega Social Club, Nottingham
It's only fitting that a band with a career built on good-time songs that evoke summer at every turn would roll in to Nottingham the week the sun has got its hat on. From the blistering heat on the streets, to the sweaty confines of a jam-packed Bodega, there's no better setting for Japandroids than there is here today.
Amidst a sea of bodies, sweat, crowd surfers and a crowd member mistaking himself for the incredible hulk, Japandroids ride high on a sea of fuzzy, feedback-laden guitar and unrelenting drums. Stuck in 5th gear the entire hour-plus show, the duo spill their anthemic tracks into the sound-system with undeniable energy.
The best thing about Japandroids is their no-fuss approach. No polish, no preciousness – just unadulterated punk-rock approach spilling into every note, beat and word. These are messy songs about enjoying the moment – they're rough, they're a little fuzzy and they'll leave you in a haze of care-free emotion. This strikes a chord with the blur of bodies before them, who relay back every word to the band (even of the songs that aren't technically released yet). The lyrics of the likes of Wet Hair and Young Hearts Spark Fire really strike a chord, especially on a scorcher of a day like today.
From the throng of tracks from the upcoming (and appropriately titled) Celebration Rock, to Post-Nothing classics like the hazy epic Crazy/Forever, the entire set is like an encore right until they abandon their own back-catalogue for a Gun Club cover to top it all off. I don't know about you, but Japandroids just kickstarted my summer.