Monday 3 November 2008

The Last Shadow Puppets – Carling Academy, Glasgow – 22nd October 2008

The Last Shadow Puppets is a side project of Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys & Miles Kane of The Rascals. Following the huge success of their number one album ‘The Age of the Understatement’, I had great expectations for tonight’s gig. I have seen both the Arctic Monkeys and The Rascals live and both are great so I was hoping that tonight would be too.

As the lights started to fade, the conductor strikes up the 16-piece orchestra supporting the lads, violins are playing a little intro as Alex Turner and Miles Kane take to the stage and start blasting out, In My Room, with frantic strings lavishly adding to the excitement.

After a moment pause the lads launch into their first single and the title track from their album, The Age of the Understatement, which sounds fantastic with the orchestra’s backing. This was the highlight for me and I wasn’t alone in this as the crowd showed their appreciation with one of the loudest cheers of the night.

The support of the orchestra added drama and new dynamics to each song, from the sumptuous sounds of Calm Like You to the tenderness of their current single, My Mistakes Were Made For You.

The talented duo also done covers of Nancy Sinatra’s, Paris Summer, and David Bowies, In The Heat of The Morning, which they recorded earlier this year on their 'The Age Of The Understatement EP'. Kane took an effective lead on a cover of The Beatles', I Want You (She's So Heavy), and he also done a great rendition of Leonard Cohen's, Memories.

Although The Last Shadow Puppets was only ever a side project, these talented lads have loads of chemistry on stage it would be a shame if they end the project forever.

Starlet

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