The Upcoming
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema
      • Movie reviews
      • Film festivals
    • Food & Drinks
      • News & Features
      • Restaurant & bar reviews
      • Interviews & Recipes
    • Literature
    • Music
      • Live music
    • Theatre
    • Shows & On demand
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
  • What’s On
    • Art exhibitions
    • Theatre shows
  • Tickets
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
  • Special events
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureMusicLive music

The Computers at Rough Trade East

The Computers at Rough Trade East | Live review
1 July 2020
Tom Yates
Avatar
Tom Yates
1 July 2020

The first few listens to The Computers’ brand new album Love Triangles, Hate Squares will probably trigger a few double takes from fans of their early material. Their riotous debut situated them squarely in the hardcore punk scene, but their latest offering sees them veering away from this and towards a more – whisper it – pop-based sound, with a most noticeable change in vocal style.

But this isn’t to say that their second album suffers from this new approach, far from it. The Computers are still a tremendously visceral live act and, as displayed in this evening’s mini-set, their aggressive playing style emphatically reaffirms this fact.

The bravado begins with the superbly titled Bring Me The Head of a Hipster. A hugely fun track with its stomping rhythms and jerky guitars, it only takes half the song before frontman Alex Kershaw is off stage and performing among the crowd. The effortlessly catchy Love Triangles, Hate Squares – their latest single and the album’s title track – soon follows, brimming with great bass lines and a killer chorus.

Selina Chinese is the most immediate cut off the new album and undoubtedly one of the best. Its arrival is marked by a thunderous extended drum roll intro, which continues throughout the song, accompanied by a rollicking piano solo.

The tunes keep coming and so does the boisterous behaviour. Kershaw begins dancing with the fans in the front row and then anyone else he can get his hands on. Before long, he’s roaming all over the store, with microphone and axe in tow.

As the remaining band members rock through another terrific rock ’n’ soul groove, Kershaw’s popping up everywhere. It’s gloriously chaotic, fans are tangled up in his guitar cables and this reviewer even takes a guitar to the face!

It’s madness, but never anything less than terrific fun, confirming that there’s far more to this British quintet than just natty burgundy suits and slickly coiffed hairdos.

★★★★★

Tom Yates
Photo: Tina Herbots

For further information and future events visit The Computers’ Facebook page here.

Watch the video for Love Triangles, Hate Squares here:

Related Itemslive musicreview

More in Live music

Vienna New Year’s Day Concert at the Musikverein

★★★★★
Michael Higgs
Read More

Rufus, Martha and Lucy Wainwright Present: A Not So Silent Night “Virtually Together”

★★★★★
Francis Nash
Read More

Pete Tong and the Heritage Orchestra: Ibiza Classics – O Come All Ye Ravers at the O2 Arena Online

★★★★★
Dan Meier
Read More

Courtney Barnett live from the Royal Exhibition Building Melbourne

★★★★★
Georgie Cowan-Turner
Read More

Gorillaz: Song Machine Live

★★★★★
Sylvia Unerman
Read More

Andrea Bocelli at Teatro Regio di Parma Online

★★★★★
Dan Meier
Read More

Foy Vance: Hope in the Highlands

★★★★★
Georgie Cowan-Turner
Read More

Liam Gallagher: Down by the River Thames

★★★★★
Jonathan Marshall
Read More

Blossoms at Brixton Academy

★★★★★
Mae Trumata
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap
  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Outside the Wire
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • A Livestream with David Bedella at Crazy Coqs Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Undercover at Morpheus Show Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Blithe Spirit
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Pearl Charles – Magic Mirror
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Sleaford Mods – Spare Ribs
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Away
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Are We Lost Forever
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Imperial Blue
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • You Me at Six – Suckapunch
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Undercover at Morpheus Show Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Ten short literary collections to get you back into reading
    Literature
  • Mayor
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Sommelier Kelvin McCabe on where to buy good wine to celebrate (and enjoy) 2021
    Food & Drinks
  • Perfect Christmas recipe: Hide Christmas Tree by Ollie Dabbous
    Food & Drinks
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Birdsong at Original Theatre Company Online | Theatre review
Four online food events for your culinary calendar