The Rakes with The Adored and Every Move a Picture - Bowery Ballroom (New York) - Wednesday, July 5, 2006

by Rachel Pesin
10 July 2006

I don’t know what other positive comments I can attribute to THE RAKES’ live performance. After all, this was my fifth time seeing them in less than a year, and each show has been stellar. The only constructive ‘criticism’ I can offer is that they need to play longer sets, especially since they now have quite a few new songs. They played to a devoted crowd for just under one hour! I’m not going to lie: we were yearning for more.

That said, this was the best show of theirs that I have seen to date. They’re still the same four, quirky, rail-thin Londoners, but they seem to have gained a lot more confidence. They played their spazzy Britpop with a sense of assurance and brashness that wasn’t there before.
They accepted a gift from a fan in the front row and then dedicated the next song to her, chatted with the audience, and threw the devil horns sign ( \m/ for those interested in the e-version) like it was going out of style. We’ve been spoiled by their constant trips across the pond, but this show is probably their last visit here for a long time. They definitely went out with a bang.

The openers were both surprisingly entertaining as well. L.A.’s THE ADORED may borrow a bit from their current tour mates BUZZCOCKS, but that’s no reason to dismiss them. They’re more than just sound-alikes; they’ve got the tunes and the talent to back it up. They’re punk-inspired dance-pop certainly won me over.

I also really liked San Francisco’s EVERY MOVE A PICTURE. At their worst they sound like a knock-off of THE BRAVERY but at their best they’re an excellent mix of U2 and, well, The Bravery (hey, if the shoe fits…) I wasn’t 100% impressed with BRENT MESSENGER’s vocals but their electro-infused music speaks for itself.

[Photos courtesy of Olga Bas]

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