White Denim at The Cluny

The majority of reviews you’ll read about this band will no doubt mention their performance at SXSW this year. But the mark of a band is to build on hype, as hundreds of failed ‘next big things’ will testify. On a cold Sunday evening, Newcastle is a far cry from White Denim’s home of Austin, Texas. Support act, Six Nation State warm the arriving crowd with a mix of punk and coral-like balladry but make little lasting impression. In contrast, White Denim waste little time with a nonstop frantic performance of 3 tracks from their debut album ‘Workout Holiday’. The songs, which blend together seamlessly, show the band to be more then what a garage band pigeonhole would have you believe. Amid their powerful sound it’s easy to forget there are only 3 of them. The energy, rhythm and experimentation highlight that White Denim are at their best live. For forty minutes tonight the crowd were rid of their winter blues as the Texan trio delivered a fiery set to remember.

Christian Allen