We Are Scientists @ Rock City Nottingham review

Posted on 30 November 2010
By Lara Leon Cullen
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Some bands who have been on the scene long enough to have built up a loyal fanbase think that putting on a show involves turning up, playing a few songs without any real effort and then leaving with a fat pay slip.

We Are Scientists however are not one of those bands. Ten years in and they still put as much effort and giddy energy into their performance at the Rock City in Nottingham that you’d be forgiven for thinking that this small show was the pinnacle of their career.

Their main support came from Goldheart Assembly who did a superb job of getting the already enthusiastic crowd warmed up for the main event, salivating for what was around the corner.

Their impressive harmonies and catchy rhythms, combined with the fact that they seemed to be having an absolute ball on stage was a delight to see. They went as far as to declare Nottingham the best show of the tour so far and they whipped up the WAS fans perfectly, creating a real feel-good vibe in the main hall.

We Are Scientists came on stage after what seemed like an age after Goldheart Assembly finished and started off with a big hitter straight away by launching into Nice Guys. The front rows erupted with excitement when they followed it with Chick Lit and then Nobody Move. Everyone in sight was singing and moving along and the atmosphere was 100% contagious for these ever popular tracks.

The hilarious on stage banter that We Are Scientists are famed for in their live performance was apparent from beginning to end. Who knows how these guys come up with these random musings on life? It doesn’t really matter though, they kept the crowd entertained between songs and there was a lot of love in that room between fan and performer.

Rules Don’t Stop Me managed to get an impressive circle-pit going and a couple of crowd surfers flew over head at one point later in the set which came as a bit of a surprise to the Rock City security who earlier seemed to muse: “These don’t look like the kind of fans to crowd surf.”

Oh well, it’s always the quiet ones you’ve got to watch! The highlight of the evening without question was when Keith Murray came into the crowd during textbook to share the mic with his adoring fans and creating a mass singalong.

To celebrate the last night of the tour they brought the Nottingham crowds’ new indie-faves Goldheart Assembly back for a group performance of After Hours which everyone lapped up with delight.

Ten years in and you’d only know it by the fact that these guys are totally comfortable and at ease on stage, which is even more impressive after the lineup changes along the way.

It’s a pleasure to see a band who still get a kick out of performing live even if they haven’t reached the lofty heights of arenas and stadiums that many bands with shorter tenures have overtaken them to reach.

It doesn’t seem like they’re bothered one bit and they seem to have found their spiritual and musical home in the medium-sized halls where they can still connect with their fanbase and connect they did.

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