Turin Brakes

When: Wednesday 20^th November

Where: O2 Shepherds Bush

Why: Love of old skool

When I told my friend I was going to see Turin Brakes, she texted back with “Never heard of them. Is that a typo?” Admittedly, they’re not the sort of band I ever would have encountered either, if it hadn’t been for a friend’s collection of copied indie CDs in my first year of uni. Once I had found them however, they became fixed in my life as a firm napping soundtrack favourite (alongside bands like Nizlopi, Starsailor, and the Corrs). That sounds like a dig but it’s actually a huge compliment; I have to be able to relax into a band to be able to nap, and their sound welcomed me in and helped me to chill out and have a think, which is vital when most of the rest of your uni time is spent either in total denial about upcoming exams or stress-writing essays at the last minute (two of my key areas of expertise, I’ll have you know).

This tour was to showcase their sixth album We Were Here which stayed true to their sound but with a bit of a “psychedelic edge”, which is almost never a bad thing. The concert was mild mannered but enthusiastic, with some epic jazz flute action and bass guitar flipping. During pauses between songs, the guys made sure to charm the crowd to keep them involved – “We tune because we care” – and it definitely worked, judging by the obvious affection for the band emanating off the crowd in waves. My favourite song of all is their classic track Painkiller which is a constant on any playlist I create, and always takes me vividly back to sitting in my tiny college room in Durham drinking a 50p pint of coke, leaning back on my chair and casually wasting my time in the most delightful way possible.

Thanks for a cracking evening boys.

Brixpig x