Despite releasing seven stellar albums over the last decade, it’s The Black Keys most recent offering, El Camino, that has earned them commercial success in the UK and three sell-out nights at London’s iconic Alexandra Palace.
Support act British rock band ‘Band of Skulls’ open the nightwith ‘Sweet Sour’; the composed beat of the drum, slippery harmonies on vocals, and rocking guitar riffs provide a suitable build up for the night’s main act. Despite toeing the line between moody and just plain uncharismatic, the band receive a decent reaction from the crowd, with many singing along to older tracks such as ‘I Know What I Am’. Leaving behind a good energy, Ally Pally is ready for the ‘The Black Keys’.
The Black Keys started their set with the incredible ‘Howlin’ For You’ and the crowd went appropriately wild; people around me were genuinely roaring. The beat is infectious, the mood is hot. Though the majority of the set list was based on the two most recent albums, fortunately the band did not neglect their older, material.
Dan Auerbach (vocals) and Patrick Carney (drums) are left alone on stage to perform older songs and remind us that sometimes less really is more; the beautifully stripped quality of their duet demonstrates their powerfully addictive melodies. The night ends with the furiously paced ‘Lonely Boy’, which has everyone dancing and gagging for more, and they do not disappoint with their encore performance of ‘Everlasting Light’, ‘She’s Long Gone’ and ‘I Got Mine’. The feisty, fast, rock and roll quality of the finale is enhanced by an impressive lighting sequence on set, and the whole crowd are dancing without inhibitions.
The Black Keys communicate through their instruments and blues-y, booze-soaked melodies, encapsulating the very essence of what rock music should be.