The Last Train Home
RockBlack Keys - Hammersmith Apollo 31 August
The Black Keys performed to a packed venue, it was a sold out show afterall. A long way since their humble beginnings as independent performers. The crowd did not hold back expressing their love for the band, donning Black Keys T-shirts from previous tours and not shy to sing along and have a bit of a boogie.
I met a mother and a daughter travelling from California who took turns picking shows for their trip to the U.K. The daughter, a trendy 21 year old music lover chose All Points East over the weekend and mum, the Black Keys. With a shared appreciation they were both clearly having a great time. It was evident that the Black Keys are a band who suit various generations of music fans, which isn't easy to achieve. They performed hits from their earlier albums such as "Lonely Boy" and "Howling for You" but mostly their newer records. The colourful visuals complimented the music nicely and it was easy to enjoy and immerse yourself even if you didn't know the words to every song. They did indeed have an encore although the pause was unusually long which had me questioning if there was going to be one or that they were just teasing us. The anticipation was enough to get the crowd excited with cheers, claps and feet stomping until they returned back to the stage.
The support act deserves a mention, Robert Finley. Story tells he was a carpenter who lost his eyesight in the sixties. Unable to continue with his work he began busking and thus started his journey as a blues musician. He woo'd the audience with his soulful voice and joyful dancing including a few hip thrusts here and there. Truly a great performance and warm up for the Black Keys. He will be coming back to the U.K in March.
As for the Hammersmith Apollo, my favourite part of the venue is the old movie theatre sign at the front which is customised according to which band is playing that evening. If you don't opt to buy merch or have a ticket stub for the show, this is a great spot to take a photo and makes for a lovely souveiner. If you want to get really nerdy you can show up the night before and watch them change the letters. They do have a very strict bag policy with no bags larger than A4 allowed inside however, they have a cloakroom for smaller bags. If you have a large bag you will be asked to take it to the nearest bag drop point in Hammersmith, best to do this before you join the que to save you time. They have a bar inside the foyer and an official merch stall and of course there was a bootleg seller outside. You can also purchase drinks in the stage area itself and there is a team who are frequently handing out water to the fans at the front. Bar closes after the show is over however Hammersmith sports a multitude of places to eat and drink if you want to continue the night before your last train home.
This show did not disappoint with a friendly, loyal and excited fanbase, an art deco building, trippy visuals and performers who quite clearly have more than a couple of decades of talent and experience under their belt not to mention the Black Keys effortlessely cool stage persona and a crowd pleasing setlist. I will give this show, audience and performers overall an 8/10.