LIVE FROM THE PIT: Citizen, Modern Color and Thistle
Following their fantastic release Halcyon Blues earlier this year, CITIZEN embarked on a big world tour, with two sold-out shows in London. Supported by the Californian MODERN COLOR and our own THISTLE, the show curates a perfect blend of midwest emo, shoegaze and grunge sounds, letting every attendee get immersed into a dreamer’s state.
Starting the night off is the emerging Northampton three-piece, THISTLE. Their riffs are quick to become your next earworm, with overdrive and muffed vocals in songs like pylon that perfect the atmosphere they’re going for. The band is on a big run of shows this year, finally getting their deserved flowers with their newest EP backflip. THISTLE’s stage presence is invasive, as they spin and twirl all around the massive space they got. Not short of jumping and hurling themselves at the microphone either, the band’s bursts of pure energy infect us instantly. Finishing on the old but gold lomochrome and bitebitebite, THISTLE surely get to win over the crowd in such a short period of time.
The fans showed up for MODERN COLOR, as the venue is so packed already it’s impossible to find a way through. Rushing right in with the explosive Jacaranda, they force the room to move, so even the lofty Londoners decide to join the moshpit. Truly, it is always incredible to see a lineup where people show up for more than just the main act, and MODERN COLOR has clearly got some of their undercover agent fans in the crowd too. And for those who knew nothing about the band, heartfelt songs like Dread and Now, Life is Living You urge the attendees to add full albums to their after-show playlist. Sadly, this is still only a support slot, so MODERN COLOR have to quickly wrap up already, with a final touch of the absolutely gut-wrenching Opiate and Pale.
After playing a kind of a warm-up show last night at the Lower Third, CITIZEN are now ready to go in full swing. Although EartH Hackney is about 5 times larger in capacity, the artists unsurprisingly sold out both nights far in advance. This shows just how loved and appreciated they are even across the pond, and we do hope the feeling’s mutual. Now that they’re on stage, we can witness the proof of this in the flesh. Opening with Good Fortune brings in a wave of surfers right ahead, even though the venue isn’t quite equipped for that. But they learn quickly, as the chaos just keeps gaining more and more momentum. CITIZEN rolls on with I Want to Kill You and The Summer, which is followed by a least a couple hundred people screaming their guts out in every word. If there was no barricade separating them from Mat, the singer would have been piled up on already.
CITIZEN have built an outstanding catalogue of almost two decades, establishing their name firmly in the Midwest scene. The band still keeps surprising the fans though, as their newest release Halcyon Blues receives just as much praise and welcome as their old material. With piercing vocals in songs like Numb Yourself and Sleep, mixed in with a softer Always the Last One to Leave, CITIZEN truly show us they are masters of all trades. After Highs and Lows, the band decide to finish on one of the slowest and quietest songs in their repertoire, The Night I Drove Alone. The whole room is holding their breath before erupting as a massive choir of a thousand voices. As CITIZEN noted themselves, tonight they are so far away from home, but this is still an absolutely amazing show. And this is really what it’s all about.
Words and photos: Mariia Bulkina
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