London Grammar
Photos by Steve Carlson // Written by Krystal Beez & Steve Carlson //
London Grammar with Until the Ribbon Breaks //
Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland
February 7th, 2015 //
On the final stop of their North American tour, British electronic pop trio London Grammar gave an impressive performance to a welcoming, sold-out crowd at the Fox Theater Oakland.
Kicking off the evening was fellow British trio Until the Ribbon Breaks, whose sound has been described as a melding of electronic pop, rock and hip-hop with a big, atmospheric feel. Frontman Pete Lawrie-Winfield led the group through tracks off their excellent, recent debut release A Lesson Unlearnt, energetically alternating between an electronic drum kit and guitar to go along with his vocal duties.
Until the Ribbon Breaks
Until the Ribbon Breaks takes their name and inspiration from the world of film, which Winfield studied before branching out into music as a full-time pursuit, and this love of film was unsurprisingly integrated into their live show in the form of movie clips projected behind the band during many songs. On “Revolution Indifference”, the band’s excellent collaboration with Run the Jewels and a highlight of the set, Killer Mike and El-P performed their verses through the video projection, which was well received by the many fans of the hip-hop duo in the audience.
The experience touring with London Grammar and Lorde showed in UTRB’s confidence, and Winfield offered sincere gratitude to the fans and to London Grammar with this being the final night of their tour together. Expect to hear more about Until the Ribbon Breaks in the near future as their fan base continues to grow.
As the lights dimmed following that opening set, London Grammar keyboardist/drummer Dominic “Dot” Major and guitarist Dan Rothman took the stage. A long intro into the extremely popular “Hey Now” began to play. And then lead vocalist Hannah Reid stepped onto the stage with her high ponytail and zip-up hoodie and sang an outstanding version of “Hey Now”.
London Grammar
There were no gimmicks or flashiness — just simply talent. Hannah’s vocals resonated throughout the Fox. Later, as Reid emotively sang “Wasting My Young Years”, she somehow managed to sound even better live than she does on the group’s debut album If You Wait.
Reid’s strong and brooding voice was the perfect complement to the skills of Rothman and Major. It is easy to forget that the three have only been making music together for four years.
London Grammar
Before going into “Flickers”, Rothman stated that the song was the very first they wrote together, while all hanging out in his bedroom. It was truly amazing to hear that performed live; their energy really fed off of each other. Then they blended that song into a crazy, darker version of “Help Me Lose My Mind”, and there was so much talent and skill being displayed on that stage. It is immediately evident that this trio will be around for a long time.
Reid has stated that their songs are a collaborative effort, and that was especially apparent during their renditions of “Strong” and “Metal and Dust”, the latter evolving into a breathtaking jam session that I hoped would never end.
Sadly, this was London Grammar’s last date on their North American tour. But rest assured, they will definitely be back. This is still the beginning for them. If you ever have the opportunity to see these three perform live, take it.
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