2008 November | Family Affairs and other matters

“SCOUTING FOR GIRLS” REVIEW – CARLING ACADEMY BRIXTON

28. November 2008

I went to see “Scouting For Girls” last night at the Brixton Academy with far too many over-excited teenage girls. For a former Carphone Warehouse salesman and his two mates, the band haven’t done badly in the last 18 months. They are the best selling band in the UK this year and there was no doubt that Roy Stride, the lead singer was completely delighted with their progress. He was ridiculously thrilled to find himself playing to 5,000 of us in a venue he loved as he was growing up and had even written a song to thank the audience for supporting them.

He oozes positivity and happiness, which is refreshing to see. The songs are annoyingly catchy and upbeat and you can’t really avoid singing along. In fact he makes you sing along. The band are not uber cool, neither are the songs, but their appeal is in the catchy tunes mixed with their boy next door normality and total lack of music snobbery.

His voice seemed to be suffering a touch from the rigours of the tour, but he certainly puts it through it’s paces. He is a captivating frontman, as entertaining as Robbie Williams to watch, but far more humble. He is a very talented musician, playing the piano and guitar as well as singing and he worked brilliantly with his bass guitarist, Greg Churchhouse and his drummer, Peter Ellard.

It didn’t matter that we had to sit upstairs with the children (“in case the mosh-pit kicked off” said the bouncer) because halfway through he suddenly appeared in the circle and the crowd went mad and our children got to touch him.

Roy Stride, as ever, gave us 110% (you could tell by the state of his shirt at the end). He believes that “happiness is a choice” and he managed to pass a little bit on to us. So. If this post ever filters through to the band I just want to say a big thank you. It takes a rare breed of man to have got me and my three friends out of our “OMG are we really taking 11 children to Brixton Academy on a school night?” I took my friend who’s son is in hospital with septicaemia (on the mend thank god) and she sent a text this morning saying “thank you it was just what I needed”. That is what going to a concert is all about.

PHEW….

27. November 2008

4 Comments

Phew. My friend is safe. Others were not so lucky. She was at the Taj hotel at 4.30pm but went out for dinner and then stayed somewhere else when the chaos broke out. Very scary. She said three more people had been shot at the railway station.