Spector - Bristol (May 16th)

'How much did you pay for this gig? Nine pounds... No wonder I'm so rich'

East London indie rock and roll five piece Spector dropped in at The Fleece last night to play a set alongside support acts Violet & Gabriel Bruce as part of the Bristol leg of their current and originally named UK headline tour; 'Spectour III'. Despite, the venue not quite managing to sell out the band came at the show with all the passion and vigour we've come to expect from the young indie set up, with front man Fred Macpherson making the crowd his own with his trademark killer combination of impressive vocals, witty banter and sheer presence on stage. With added input from a few die hard Bristolian Spectorites at the front  of the crowd, the band played a selection of tracks across the hour most notably hit singles Celestine, Chevy Thunder and show closer Never Fade Away. Every track played flawlessly, I have to commend the band on their rare ability to sound as good live as they do on record and MacPherson's articulate or otherwise interactions with the crowd throughout the night gifted an extra element of comedy to a potentially stoic audience.  

The Fleece a relatively small venue, with a maximum capacity of around 400, it was also nice to see an act that despite recent hype, now even more increased following their Maida Vaile session with Zane Lowe last week, still bother to walk through the crowd on their way to the stage and sign autographs outside the men's toilets after a gig - Spector giving off a real sense of appreciation and gratitude towards their fans, both old and new. Don't let the lack of glamour and entourage fool you though because as I have already suggested Spector, one of the few true indie rock and roll bands still around, killed every song they played at a venue whose former alumni include The Killers, Oasis, The Verve and the late Amy Winehouse. The anthemic Chevy Thunder had to be my favourite performance of the night, however, a power chord filled epic crowd pleaser of a song which was played with all the irreverence and fervour of a Rolling Stone top 100 hit as the lyrics resonated in a cacophony of voices around the venue. With an album expected to be launched later this year, expect to hear big things from these suited and booted boys from East London in the near future and I would recommend that anyone with the chance to see them in the next few months grab the opportunity before these lads blow up.