Walk The Moon
You probably know Walk The Moon, even if you think you don’t. The Ohio quartet come from modest beginnings, but 2014 saw them top charts worldwide with ‘Shut Up and Dance’, their biggest hit single to date. Four years on, the band aren’t the global phenomenon they were then, but their latest album ‘What If Nothing’ is proof that they’re still making great guitar-pop on their own terms. It’s this album which brings them tonight to The Waterfront, midway through the UK leg of their world tour.
The set is an equal mix of the group’s three albums. Older fans (like yours truly) are here for the deep cuts: Tightrope and Shiver Shiver from 2012’s self-titled debut are jaunty and guitar-driven, sat somewhere around the sound of Two Door Cinema Club or Foster The People. A small league of die-hards are here too, mostly young teens donned in face-paint (the band adopt an 80s pop gang look on stage and in their photographs; think Adam Ant cheek stripes with Flock of Seagulls hair, only more neon). It’s the new stuff the kids are here for: from the new album All I Want goes down a treat, caffeinated and infectiously up-tempo.
The foursome are suited to much bigger crowds back home, but cut their teeth in club venues like this, so audience participation is their forte. When frontman Nick Petricca isn’t air-guitaring along to his own songs, he’s on the barrier sharing sweat with his dearest admirers, or leading sing-alongs, defiantly holding his mic out to the room.
The chunky scuzz of Headphones (extended to include the iconic riff from Zeppelin’s Kashmir) sets the tone for an eruptive encore. Up 2 U is the moshpit catalyst required to finish this thing off properly, before Anna Sun, an absolute indie gem, closes proceedings spectacularly.
On their belated Norwich debut, Walk The Moon show us how it should be done.
