Lambchop

Sunday 20th August. Lambchop. Islington Assembly Hall. It’s a wet summer evening in North London as me and Birds Eye Andy work our way down Upper Street.

I’ve long been a fan but have never seen them live and by them I mean Kurt Wagner and assorted chums. Tonight it’s a three piece of Kurt on guitar and various electronics, bass player Matt Swanson and the enigmatic Tony Crow on piano, a man who could have a career in comedy if his keyboard skills are no longer required.

Wagner has a bit of a marmite voice and his experimentation with sound, electronica and vocal effects doesn’t always hit the spot. However, there are no such problems tonight with a perfectly paced set and any use of electronica was subtle and well suited to the new cannon of songs from their latest album ‘Flotus’.

One of the great strengths of this venue is the sound quality and tonight is no exception. With a reverential crowd every tic, breath and nuance of Wagner’s voice could be heard perfectly. The ghostly hushed tone was the perfect backdrop for a Sunday night with the only distraction a very loud bang bordering on explosion that made everyone take a quick additional breath but the momentum was barely broken by the band. We later found out that this was a helium balloon in the lighting rig from the previous night exploding.

The interchange between the band is subtle and complimentary. Crow adds plenty of flourish with his piano playing virtuosity to the deadpan Wagner and his subdued guitar.

It’s a lovely 90 minute body of work and difficult to pick any highlight as it acted more as a soundtrack for the evening than a rock n roll show. With drama in the audience with a member ejected, another fainting, the band proved to be the electrical earth to the madness going on elsewhere in the world.

Keep on lo-fi rockin y’all

Lambchop is considered to be in the alternative country genre. Previously known as Posterchild, this fantastic band gives an electrifying performance that audiences of all ages are sure to enjoy.

Lambchop brings a bit of rock and roll sound to the country genre and keeps the energy up at each venue. With over 30 years experience, Lambchop is unlike any other. The band takes stage, front and center, and allows the focus to be strictly on those who are performing. The energy is high and the lyrics are unique, occasionally quirky or witty, but always insightful. The audience is constantly cheering for the band and always wanting more.

In May of 2000, in Hamburg, Germany, Lambchop was able to open for Yo La Tengo and offered a sneak peek into their newest album, at that time. During the concert in London, Lambchop was able to instantly grab the audience and keep their full attention. Kurt Wagner and Tony Crow also had a bit of playful banter between the two of them, this allowed the audience to get an up close and personal look at the band and the passion that they have toward music. With the laid back country vibe mixed with a splash of rock and roll, Lambchop is an amazing band with fantastic sounds and uplifting music.

Tennessee alternative country outfit Lambchop have been active on the circuit for over 25 years and although their live show is an acquired taste, it has quite a large reach, taking them around the world numerous times. Country is often a genre criticised for churning out similar sounds with similar performance styles yet Lambchop still manage to stand out from the crowd with an evocative and involving live show.

The group has currently released eleven studio albums to varying commercial success so as expected the setlist for this evening's show is varied. It feels as though the group has chosen the music they personally prefer to play from across the discography and it seems to correlate with the audience's preference as they cheer enthusiastically for almost every single song. The animated and energetic stage mannerisms hold attention throughout the show and after fifteen songs it is time to finish with a ripping version of 'Up With People'.

Great songs and second set was super. However, I’d strongly recommend that the band/Kurt connects to his public. During the first set there was no contact whatsoever, and we might as well have been listening to his records and saved standing around listening to a band absorbed it themselves. Did they have too much dope in Nijmegen the evening before?

A great and memorable gig from Lambchop, playing most of the tracks from the lush and gorgeous new album Flotus. Confident but relaxed in their playing, they crescendoed when necessary and had me captivated throughout. Kurt Wagners voice is truly unique and I could listen to it all day and night. Highly recommended.

I was invited along to see lamb chop not knowing much about there back catalogue but I was really impressed Kurt Wagner vocals and overall sound was mesmerising and looking forward to download the whole of there back catalogue

Lambchop brought it. It was interesting to see how Kurt brought the new electric energy from their latest effort to a live audience. Great concert, even if the venue isn't the most conducive for good audio.

Perfect Sound...cool concert in a great location, the Amerikahaus in Munich ! We all listened to the Nixon sound.
Kurt Wagner and his guys were amazing ! We all had a wonderful concert !

I loved this show. I'd seen Lambchop many years ago and so had high hopes, but it was just fabulous - tight, mellow, relaxed. The warmup act was amazing as well. Fabulous venue.