Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Where: Birmingham O2 Academy
When: 9th December 2009
With only one date left, you may have thought lead singer Karen O and the rest of the band would be tired of performing the same set night in, night out – but it didn’t show.
Drummer Brian Chase and bass player Nick Zinner were first out onto the stage, of which the backdrop was a giant eyeball, and they eased the crowd into the opening track 'Runaway'. O was off-stage as she performed half the track and then ran out to the delight of the O2 Academy.
This was then followed by 'Phenomena', a favourite from previous album Fever to Tell. O’s voice seemed to be slightly drowned out by the music but it was still an accomplished start from the New Yorkers.
If the voice recognition was a sign of nerves, then the third track dispelled them easily. 'Heads Will Roll' got the whole venue bouncing and bopping, including spectators in the balcony. O herself was also bouncing and putting on a real show, her fist-pumping just making the audience move quicker. The show was well and truly underway.
Then it’s onto 'Kiss Kiss'. The first few rows pick up where they left off and continue to bounce along with the energetic O. She continues to put on a great performance and before you know it, the song has finished. It’s time to mellow down a little.
'Miles Away' gives the crowd the chance to take a breather and 'Dull Life' also allowed the crowd a quick chance to regain themselves. But the rollercoaster that is Yeah Yeah Yeah’s was about to begin it’s upwards ascent again.
The first beat drops and the crowd go wild; it’s the song most of them have come to see and the song that has made Yeah Yeah Yeah’s so famous. 'Gold Lion' is, unsurprisingly, delivered impeccably. The whole audience joins in and everywhere you look, people have big grins on their faces. This is classic Karen O.
The crowd must have thought they’d heard the best that O and her gang had to offer. They were wrong. 'Cheated Hearts' follows 'Gold Lion' and goes down brilliantly, if not better, with the audience. The tempo is high and the crowd like it. The first of the crowd-surfing begins to take place and the whole arena is now bouncing. O goes for a wander off stage and down to the first row before hoisting herself back up onto stage to finish the extended anthem.
'Shame and Fortune' once again brings the atmosphere down a peg or two and O sways from side to side as she, note perfect, belts out the tune.
But it’s not long before the crowd is once again bobbing in unison with O. This time, it’s 'Pin' that has made the audience of all ages, tap their feet, nod their heads and for some, jump up and down.
Another classic soon follows as 'Honey Bear' makes a rare appearance on the set-list. O is loving every second of this gig.
The first single off the new album It’s Blitz is next up. 'Zero' has an extended intro as O dashes off stage. In her absence, Zimmer takes photos of the crowd and keeps spirits up. When O returns, she is wearing the leather coat from the video, which raises a cheer from the crowd.
'Zero' is then performed to the highest standard as O continues to hype up the audience by running all over the stage and jumping up and down. The song draws to a close and O, who is giving it her all, stamps her foot onto a pedal, releasing an explosion of confetti in time with the final drum beat. A huge ovation follows and they leave the stage, thanking everyone as they depart.
An encore is inevitable and after some rhythmic clapping from the audience, the band return to perform three tracks off Fever to Tell.
'Y Control' is the first to be performed and gets the masses back jumping and singing along. But the ultimate karaoke anthem is just around the corner.
'Maps', a real crowd favourite, is next. Performed acoustically, it gives the crowd the perfect chance to sing-a-long with O and is sung to perfection. The track may have been slower but it was a masterstroke and a fantastic way of getting the crowd involved.
But, in true YYY’s fashion, they finish in style. Possibly the most upbeat song in their collection, 'Date with a Night' is bellowed out by O and the arena ignites for one final time. The audience are going all-out, knowing that this will be the last song. And O, despite jumping around for the past 90 minutes, embraces the crowd and joins in, leaving everything on the stage.
The final chord is met with the lights being raised and a vociferous round of applause commences.
“The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s love Birmingham!” shouts O.
But judging by tonight, that’s not even close as to how much Birmingham loves them.
Words: Chris Quinn
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