The Moth & the Flame open for Imagine Dragons at Brixton Academy

The Moth & the Flame are tipped to be something exciting – having been compared with the likes of Coldplay and Flaming Lips, expectations ran high ahead of their final night opening for Imagine Dragons at Brixton Academy.

Unfortunately they struggle to take off tonight, from their slow and uninspiring opening track How We Woke Up to their closing rendition of hit Sorry. The venue is too big to carry this sound as it is now, the band appearing small on the vast stage.

They’re tight, but somehow not fully rounded; the emptiness of the venue so early in the night occasions the sound falling a bit flat. Winsome proves more popular with the crowd, but they’re lacklustre.

In fairness, the sound production is particularly poor, but this means the vocals are almost entirely lost, the lyrics impossible to make out. Their first interaction with the crowd comes halfway through the set – too little too late, it’s met with a lukewarm response.

Maker is more epic with far more live potential, although it’s still too close to Snow Patrol for comfort. There’s a foreboding sense that this has been done before, and done better by British bands. Wishing Well is a strong tune with a compelling beat, but it’s not enough to save this performance. Sadly there’s not much to distinguish The Moth & the Flame yet – while one can’t punish a band for a venue’s defects, they do need to be more than just pleasant.

When a band announces no song titles, it can feel somewhat self-assured; unless they’re world-famous, if the crowd doesn’t know the band, they must give them something to go home with. Disappointed and left with nothing tangible, The Moth & the Flame have some way to go to make a memorable mark on their audience, especially when compared to the sensational following set from Imagine Dragons. They are as yet no match for home-grown bands on the scene right now – perhaps the amazing venue was just too big a jar for this moth tonight.

Georgia Mizen

For further information and future events visit The Moth and the Flame’s website here.

Read our review of Imagine Dragons’ set here.

Watch the official video for Sorry here: