LIVE REVIEW: THE BRIAN JACKET LETDOWN 30th July 2005, Camden Barfly, London. So this is about the Brian Jacket Letdown’s third ever gig, they’re already causing a stir in the depths of London a tonight sees no exception. The venue is pretty packed out by 11pm and we’re waiting for this intriguing five piece to take to the stage. There is various mutterings whilst we await them… Someone in the crowd truthfully says “There’s a Banjo on stage-that means they must be good and not sub Coldplay!”  At this point I would like to point out that having a Banjo feature in your music does not necessarily make you good or interesting. *cough* Easyworld *cough* but in this instance, the statement is apt. Use of the Banjo in ‘The Hurry’ does not alone make this song brilliant; credit must go to its quirky split personality behaviour within the song with a slightly chilling playground esque charm to it.
	Opening track ‘Nearly Us’ still has a Bryan Adams feel to it (vocally). It’s hard to tell where they’re going with it but it’s a true example of singer Will Harper’s vocal skills and how he can adapt it in diverse way. Midway through the set comes a Mercury Rev esque track called ‘A Light Array.’ Although it’s not as cinematic as a Rev track quite yet, its smaller scale epic ness is purely delightful. The Brian Jacket Letdown are a little more subdued on stage this evening (as a pose to their debut gig a few weeks ago where everyone there knew them) and they are cursed by the Barfly’s legendary (in a bad way) sound system, but this doesn’t put them off. When they get to the brilliantly hilarious song ‘Me and My Dog’ (the title makes it sound like it should be sung by the Monkees) they are accompanied brilliantly (again) by the audience with dog howls. The twinkling beauty that is ‘Grow Lands’ sounds, for a split second, like something Neil Diamond would have produced. (Hey! I’m not saying that’s a bad thing! The guy is a factual sweet legend!) Or maybe it was because I’d been watching the Jazz Singer earlier in the day… who knows. All in all, another successful gig for the Brian Jacket Letdown. Be sure to catch them before they become a national treasure for the slightly insane. Words: Zara Crockett-King. Photograph: Adrian Woodward.
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