Review: The Maccabees

The Maccabees are at the top of their game, having been announced as headliners of the NME/Radio 1 stage at Leeds/Reading Festival, and the latest album, Given To The Wild, reaching number four in the UK charts. Lead singer, Orlando Weeks, was listed in the top 20 of the “NME Cool List” in 2011. But are these Brighton boys just a little too cool for school?

They opened with Given To The Wild Intro and Child, the preliminary tracks from the new album. The troop of quirky characters in the audience welcomed this with the odd plastic cup grenade, boisterous screams and a mild-mannered mosh-pit.

This level of enthusiasm didn’t stop throughout the night. Tracks such as Wall Of Arms stimulated the hearts of the female audience, sung exceptionally by the distinctive tones of Orlando Weeks. If anything, his haunting voice blossoms live, particularly when he uses two microphones, adding to the echo. Pelican was the “final” track, although after only 45 minutes of playing, it was a somewhat poor excuse of a climax. The true ending came with three more songs, including Precious Time. The Maccabees demonstrated true class. They’re not pretentious; just great musicians, and are blessed by not getting a number one single yet. Credit goes out to the audience – they knew every word to every song, and carried the performance throughout.