Japandroids may only be two men from Vancouver, but they nearly tore the roof off the Green Door Store with a triumphant display on Friday night.
The rock duo of Brian King (guitar, vox) and David Prowse (drums, vox) had fans bouncing from the start till the glorious closing moments, as the rough-and-ready look of The Green Door Store suited the band both aesthetically and acoustically; it was, in essence, a guitarist and a drummer simply delighting themselves and anybody who cared to join them.
King had earlier said “Me means both of us”, and there is no better way to describe the sounds Japandroids than that - two hearts and minds working as one.
King, sporting a Guns 'N' Roses top and ridiculously tight jeans, looked like he was having the time of his life as he and Prowse – a speedy, thrashy delight of a drummer with a great voice to boot – blasted through favourites such as Wet Hair and The Boys Are Leaving Town.
King described Young Heart Sparks Fire as "our Creep" in a reference to Radiohead's often-requested track but the highlight was new single The House That Heaven Built. A big-hearted track sounding like the punk cousin of Bruce Springsteen, the duo seemed genuinely moved by the ecstatic reaction.
Telling the tale of a crowd-surfer breaking valuable gear the last time they were in Brighton, King demanded the same intensity again and, as he straddled the drum kit, guitar aloft, with a fan presented to him with arms and legs flailing like a sacrificial lamb in the closing seconds, it was mission accomplished.
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