The straight men

First, I need to mention that there were no gays at the Travis show last night. I was the only cross section of the audience who was at the Pets and the Scots. It was almost a relief.

But! I have done it! Three concerts, three days. Here's my report on last night:

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I remember a few years ago seeing the band James perform at the Shepherd's Bush Empire. They had just made an album called Whiplash, and whilst they performed their better known, mostly acoustic guitar-based songs, particularly from the great Laid album, they were just dying to make a really big noise with the newer material. And I don't think this is uncommon among bands like this. Perhaps it's the result of needing to cast off the shackles of the genre they have been somewhat enslaved under.

I was reminded of this occasion last night when I saw Travis at Hammersmith Apollo, who, whilst they aren't busting a groove in any new direction on their albums, now and again what they're dying to do is... in their own words... to rock. And if rocking out is your intention, what better way to start a show is by entering to the Rocky themetune? Yes! And not just that, but by doing so through the audience...

Travis enter through the crowd; it's unclear whether any band members are in this shot, but there's quite a nice pint of beer bottom right

When I first listened to their current album The Boy With No Name, there was a track early on called Selfish Jean, which for me was the strongest of the set. It sounds a little bit like Iggy Pop's Lust For Life at the beginning. It has a great line in it 'the perfect combination of etiquette and charm, she keeps the chocolate biscuits wired to a car alarm' that made me laugh. I love a dry Scottish sense of humour. And the truth is, Travis are funny. "Little" Fran is hilarious. If the music sounds like Iggy Pop, I wondered if lyrically they could take a leaf out of Neil Hannon's book next time around. There's not enough humour in music today.

If Fran is funny, something else he is is bouncy. He zipped around the stage like someone had placed a chili twixt his buttcheeks. Watching their Closer video recently, I had thought that with the onset of fatherhood and responsibility he had lost hair and gained weight. Maybe he had briefly (or perhaps it's that beaver suit) but has shed any extra poundage, because I didn't see a paunch last night through his Love Music Jaffa Cakes Travis tee-shirt (the first and only time I recall seeing an artist wearing their own merchandise!). Maybe he just abstained from that last one. He looked hot.

He also sounded hot. His voice raised hairs on the back of my neck. It was blistering. When he really let rip, he had to move away from the mic so there wasn't distortion. I mused briefly if he was a great lost opera singer.

A brief, photographic interlude:

The many shades of Travis

All I wanna do is rooooooooooooock! You don't get this at a Pet Shop Boys show

Flowers in the window, acoustic with tambourine

Obviously, the great majority of material played was new, and that was fine with me because I unexpectedly found the new record really grew on me. It's their usual groove, not experimental Swedish piano synth, but that's OK. Hearing songs like Sing, Flowers in the window and Love will come through was a delight. They didn't play Tied to the '90s, which was a shame (possibly), since (I think) it was their first single and I bought that. I guess that's a personal one. The grand finale was, naturellement, Why does it always rain on me, which large numbers of the audience members anticipated by putting up umbrellas (I guess it's ideal for Travis to tour during inclement weather). I did dare to dream that they might segue briefly into a spot of on-theme Rihanna (Travis did cover Britney!) but perhaps that was too much to hope for.

Still, for all the great anthems they played, there was one number which I had neglected to anticipate. One which can accompany the prize-winning best of the show songs from the last three nights. It was Driftwood. I have that as a single, too. They started singing it and I was caught offguard. It was totally joyous. "I love this song!" I said out loud, and melted like a Rolo on an Aga.

Travis Driftwood

Comments

[xolondon]

Aww Franny. I saw them live after The Man Who and I remember Fran saying some earnest love-one-another shit that did not really go over with the American crowd. Not in the political sense, but in the "ooh, he's corny" sense. It struck me then that he is very "good" and willing to show it.

They are usually more muscular live and I feel like they need to catch that on record too.

But I digress. That is my favorite Travis video you have up there!

[TRICKY]

He thanked us for coming to the show last night too. That was quite earnest, but came after a string of jokes about how easy it was to "buy" music these days by going 'click click click' and not leaving the house, so any overt sacharine-ness was diluted.

[Tony]

"Like a Rolo on an Aga"?!

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's too funny, and I fear despite an entire day sat in front of law books, is going to be the one thing I shall remember from everything I've read today when I'm sitting in the exam hall next week. This is not good. Oh well, at least I'll smile as I'm failing.

Travis - nice boys them four.

[TRICKY]

Tony, best of luck. I'd go and get yourself a pack of Rolos for the sugar high.