In a tiny record shop in Kingston, a band by the name of White Lies will be paying a visit to perform a short in store set for Banquet Records, for those that purchased a 7" or a CD single from Banquet Records would get a single ticket for this gig but if you, like me, were one of those that pre-ordered the White Lies debut album To Lose My Life… (which shot straight to #1 the following week) they would get a free pair of tickets to the in store gig! So I and a friend, set off to Kingston and the destination Banquet Records!
I first heard of White Lies from watching the music video for their track "Death". It immediately reminded me of Joy Division especially in the lead singer of White Lies (Harry McVeigh) whose vocals sounded quite like Ian Curtis’ signature baritone. Even looking at the sleeve art of the singles and the album conjures up visions of the late Factory Records and especially Peter Saville’s handiwork during the label’s run. Whatever it may remind the observer of, there’s no denying that White Lies’ sound separates them from many others and that they have a potential for much more!
It was a chilly Wednesday night and we’d arrived at the venue for tonight’s entertainment. The staff of Banquet, were busy reorganizing the shop’s interior to make space for the band, who were still to arrive. When the band did arrive they immediately got to work on setting up their instruments and through sound checks revealed what song they would open with.
As the queues began to grow, the constant thought of getting some hot sustenance kept creeping in but to do so would surrender our position in the queue!? So inevitably I stayed put and kept waiting for the gig to start. As the queue outside started to trickle into the shop, the space started to fill up and the stage was set!
White Lies opened with the song they had been practising earlier, "Unfinished Business", the distinctive organ an instant give away from the band’s first pressed single.
Then they played "To Lose My Life", another great performance but only let down by technical difficulties occurring during the song that rendered the keyboard out of order.
The band then launched into "EST" (for electrocution therapy, a method used to calm down manic depressives), a number that had echoes of the likes of Adam & The Ants (but less New Romantic) with a definite slice of 80’s synth.
Then the trio played a song that captured the passion of the band with "Fifty On Our Foreheads" that allowed Harry to exercise more of a stage presence then before, strumming his blonde telecaster and owning the small space for the crescendo. The best song of the night and most definitely my favourite as it brought to my mind Joy Division’s "Atmosphere" - a sombre masterpiece!
Finally White Lies performed the last song of the set and one of my favourite songs "Death", Harry started clapping and the audience followed suit, involving the audience into the final performance if only for percussive purposes.
As the gig came to a rapturous close (ironic I know) and the night seemed over, the band then agreed to stay a little longer to sign things and just like that, the night was still young!
White Lies - Unfinished Business
White Lies - Fifty On Our Foreheads