Like so many others, young English trio The Wombats caught my attention in 2007 with their triumphant breakthrough single “Let’s Dance To Joy Division.” Here we are, eight years later, and I was finally able to catch the energetic bunch live in the flesh. Last night they stopped by Rough Trade NYC for a intimate warm-up show before the much larger tour that will follow the release of their upcoming new album Glitterbug.
But first came Wardell, an up-and-coming band (NYC + L.A). It’s the project of siblings Sasha and Theo Spielberg, the children of Steven Spielberg. They’ve set out to make a name for themselves their own way, through a warm set of folk-inspired indie rock tunes that got the crowd going. There’s a gentle fragility to Shasha’s vocals, which are complented nicely by the sharp guitar work of Theo. The duo are set to release their debut album Love/Idleness on February 10.
It was great to finally catch The Wombats live, after missing them all these years due to being upstate for school. The show taking place at the rather intimate Rough Trade NYC made it all the better, giving me a real good look at what the trio of Matthew Murphy, Dan Haggis, and Tord Øverland Knudsenbring, could really do. It was their first time playing in New York in two years, making the evening a bit of a catch-up for everyone involved. The show served as a warm up for their regular tour and festival dates, as well as a chance to show off new songs from Glitterbug.
This included current single “Greek Tragedy,” as well as “”Give Me A Try,” and “The English Summer.” The new material gives off a more polished and widescreen pop sound, a welcome addition to the spry youthfulness of material from their first two albums. The energy transferred right over when old favorites were played, with the crowd triumphantly singing every word right back at the trio (while jumping up and down non-stop) as they ran through classics such as “Kill The Director,” “Moving To New York,” and “Techno Fan.” But the moment of the evening rightfully belonged to “Let’s Dance To Joy Division,” performed with all the vigor and oomph that you’d expect. It was a cathartic release to finally hear the song live, giving me memories of unabashedly blasting it in my college dorm room only a few years ago.
The Wombats delivered a fun show of rock and roll that had the entirety of the crowd with them from start to finish. Although there was surprisingly no encore (I suppose since it was a warm-up gig), it was a fun show that provided a little bit of warmth during these cold January days.
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Photos of The Wombats + Wardell are posted below, along with the music video for “Greek Tragedy,” which features an obsessed fan following the band to tragic results. I’ve also shared some fan shot videos from the night.
The Wombats Setlist:
1. Your Body Is A Weapon
2. Jump Into The Fog
3. Moving To New York
4. Give Me A Try
5. Techno Fan
6. Kill The Director
7. The English Summer
8. 1996
9. Party In A Forest (Where’s Laura?)
10. Greek Tragedy
11. Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)
12. Let’s Dance To Joy Division
13. Euroscheisse
“Greek Tragedy”:
The Wombats:
Live Video:
“Let’s Dance To Joy Division”:
“Moving To New York”:
“Greek Tragedy”:
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