Hadouken, Late of the Pier, The Whip.

Lev 2 Esquires Bedford. 9th October 2007.

For Hadouken! it's tonight Bedford Esquires, tomorrow the London Astoria! The delay of a week seems to have worked in the promoters favour as the headliners treated tonight's gig as a full scale warm-up. For the hordes of young fans out in force tonight it has to be their Esquires gig of the year. While for the 'seen it all before' older folk it's a chance to see if the NME hype which has accompanied this band is justified.
A walk through the Esquires car park testifies it's a big night with a huge tour bus vying with the said young people blocking ones way to the entrance! Remember, the tickets sold out within hours way back in June.

First band were THE WHIP, making a swift return visit to Bedford. Hailing from Salford, they create head-spinning tunes that recall prime New Order and must make them wish they had been around some 20 years ago headlining the legendary Hacienda (Tony Wilson RIP). They say little, their music speaks volumes. For me, the best band of the evening. I loved every minute of it.

After the ecstasy comes the hangover (!) as the avant-garde jerky electro-pop drivel that is LATE OF THE PIER hit the stage. I'm sure this Nottingham band could be huge, but tapping pieces of wood - please! This sort of band turn me into 'old git' mode! Thankfully they soon go and its time for the main event.

There is a pregnant pause, a hush, then deafening shouty squeals as HADOUKEN! appear. Most of the attention is focused on vocalist James Smith (a star of the future, for sure) in skinny green t-shirt and a rather outsized baseball cap. They start with "The Bounce" as they talk about "Your day job, day job". Although I know very little about Hadouken!'s songs I am totally in the minority as the mosh pit is as full and ecstatic as I have witnessed here in a long time. It is quite a sight. I just ponder and wish I was a shareholder in a glo-stick company as these brightly coloured objects are worn with pride before being tossed and thrown around. Come on folks, it's a Tuesday evening! This behaviour normally only happens at weekends! As Hadouken! offer wave after wave of pure joy, "Superstar" brings Mr Smith even closer to his fans as he enters into some stage-diving! The youngsters lap it up.
Technically the sound certainly seems beefed up tonight and Hadouken! have increased the lighting capacity. The downside is that the dear old room is absolutely cluttered with all manner of cables, stray wires and boxes of junk! Hmmm must have make all the young folk feel quite at home!
As the yeah-yeah ghetto-speak song is performed, it's hard to define Hadouken!'s musical genre as it collectively encompasses indie, rock, grime, hip-hop, house and metal. The sound at times, I feel, is early eighties electronica, but the delivery and attitude is now. 2007! Don't we know and feel it. It has quite an edge.
As the last song is performed, James shouts out to the audience "sing along if you know it". They do, I don't! But with the majority of people holding aloft either a glo-stick or a moment capturing mobile, it's been quite an evening. For me, its rather akin to being invited to a complete strangers birthday party!
Klaxons came to Esquires last December and recently won the Mercury Music Prize. It will be interesting to follow these fellow ravers and discover Hadouken!'s progress when they release their debut album in the near future - perhaps the outcome will be the same.