Parquet Courts live in London, November 2018 (Alberto Pezzali / Live4ever)
There’s a certain requirement for bands gigging on a Saturday night, namely that it should suit the occasion, be uplifting and essentially soundtrack the party that the punters will be having.
The crowd will have likely made an early start because they can, and are normally pretty well oiled by the time the band take to the stage. On November 10th in Bristol, Parquet Courts stepped up to the plate with relish.
The Texans are somewhat riding the crest of a wave at present; they’ve built up a strong cult following since releasing their first album American Specialities in 2011, but are in the process of crossing over following the success of this year’s Wide Awake!, with huge exposure on various indie radio outlets.
It’s a packed and punchy gig. The band are on for little more than an hour but cram the set, performing with no backdrop to speak of, instead relying on 60s style spotlights. Opening with recent hit Total Football, one’s immediate reaction is that lead vocalist and songwriter Andrew Savage’s voice sounds a lot more gravelly than on record, although this could be down to the rigours of touring, the Bristol show being their fourth of the week.
One can also presume that the effects of the British autumn aren’t quite the same as being back home. Not that it affects the gig as they rattle through the songs but fluctuate the tempo. Almost Had To Start A Fight/In And Out Of Patience is frantic but contrasts with Before The Water Gets Too High which immediately slows down the pace with winding guitar carrying echoes of Gorillaz.
Indeed, whether through intent or accident the band evoke several other acts throughout rock’s annals, but fortunately it’s an eclectic and impeccable list. At several points the guitars are blasted in pre-Nirvana grunge fashion, Dear Ramona channels the spirit of The Velvet Underground & Nico, Firebird ii is the best song Squeeze never wrote, and Back To Earth brings to mind the pacing of early Animals. Master Of My Craft would sit comfortably on Is This It?, and the dramatic One Man No City would make David Byrne proud.
Most prominent is the use of harmonies by the entire band, evoking The Beach Boys at their sweetest, and lastly the title-track from this year’s album, crammed as it is with percussion, cowbells and all, brings to mind The House Of Jealous Lovers by the sadly missed Rapture. And so an impressively diverse list of influences are all put together in one brimming melting pot, combining to consistently hold the crowd’s attention.
It’s not quite all about the music, man. The technicolour lighting is sparse but effective as it works in time to the music, and the band are all dressed unassumingly (apart from Savage’s mighty moustache). It’s most effective on the aforementioned One Man No City, as the band are naught but silhouettes as they double the length of an already long song before one last punch to the gut, the visceral Light Up Gold II.
Perfect Saturday night fare.