Indie veterans Maxïmo Park lit up Rock City with a setlist curated from all of their old and new favourites. Jodie Averis reviews.
Maxïmo Park sit amongst the other formative indie bands, such as Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party, that had inspired indie and guitar music throughout the 2000's and early '10s. Despite those years now feeling like eons ago, Maxïmo Park still feel the love. Despite the odd quip of 'Christ, are they still going?!', they haven't really stopped since the release of their Mercury Prize-nominated debut, A Certain Trigger.
Rock City's audience demographic can hardly come as a surprise. Most of the occupancy were probably aged over thirty, drenched in merchandise. Occasionally, I spotted another twenty-something in the crowd, and thought 'you're also clinging onto your childhood, too?'.
"The atmosphere was relaxed, somewhat tender, but it still retained the loyalty to frontman Paul Smith and his joyous brand of indie music."
Because of this more adult demographic, the audience didn't create enormous, might-get-punched-in-the-head mosh pits that are normally centrepiece of any indie gig. Alternatively, there was a pleasant, relaxed swaying. Perhaps a little two-step. Or even a little hip shimmy. This isn't to be confused with a lack of energy: no, quite the opposite. The atmosphere was relaxed, somewhat tender, but it still retained the loyalty to frontman Paul Smith and his joyous brand of indie music.
Smith simply hasn't aged. Donning his classic Bowler hat, and some frantic dance moves, him and the band stand in front of their backdrop - a simple flag that reads, in clear font, 'MAXÏMO PARK'. No frills.
Maxïmo Park have always been reliable in creating a jaunty and catchy pop-rock song. Notably, they closed their set with an entertaining run of some of their finest material; Books From Boxes; Versions of You; (the one we all instantly recgonise) Apply Some Pressure, Girls Who Play Guitar, and closing on Graffiti. To be expected, these generated bellows from the Rock City attendees, who still bobbed their heads to the bands' more recent material, Merging Into You.
Maxïmo Park feel like they've been around for-bloody-ever. But, they definitely know what works, and what doesn't. Energetic performers with a knack for songwriting tracks that act as earworms, I imagine that it was just as much of a joy to have caught their gig in 2022 as it would have been in 2012. It was fun, friendly, with some classic Smith frentic high kicks. There doesn't seem to be any applied pressure to the Geordie indie classics.
Jodie Averis
Cover image courtesy of NME.
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