LIVE: The Struts - The 100 Club, London 19.11.15

Ever since the fab four took to the skies and landed in America for the first time in 1964, it has been an increasingly popular goal for UK bands to “break’ America. Whether or not this is regarded to be as important in 2015, compared to the ’60s, there is still no doubting the USA provides a diverse and, hard to miss, massive market. Finding a chink America’s musical armour is something British and Irish bands seem to have perfected, and The Struts are no different. The truthfully authentic, but modern take on Rock n Roll seems to have struck a cord with those state side. By tailoring recent video for single ‘Could Have Been Me’ to the mass American market (a video which contains every London/Rock n Roll stereotype known to man) they were destined for success.

The 100 Club is far from the scenes of my first Struts gig. Early last year, I saw the band take the stage at Leamington Spa’s Zephyr Lounge to a modest but nonetheless enthusiastic crowd. The Struts have always had an attitude that sees them play every gig like it was their last, but the 100 Club took this to a whole new level. If possible, they were leaps and bounds ahead of their previous energy levels. This may be because they are finally back on home turf, all be it for a short while, or are now veterans of sold out shows.

Up first were London lads, The Turning, with their take on up beat garage rock. It was a well-suited support slot, with the audience clearly appreciating and enjoying the set. New single ‘Groundhog Day’ and pristine cover of ‘Get Over You’ originally by The Undertones, drew special attention.

We are all aware that The 100 Club is of “legendary” status; so taking the stage here must be of significance in anyone’s career. The venue itself does fall slightly less than desirable to the band, however, as the positioning of the stage seems out of place. A large pillar stands in the middle of the crowd, splitting it into two and masking the view of half the band from wherever you stand. Nevertheless, no matter how many of the band you could actually see, The Struts always perform with such high energy and pizazz that it’s very hard to fault their showmanship. Luke Spiller, takes on a Freddie Mercury come Marc Bolan esk vibe as he conducts his audience like a small orchestra whilst dressed head to toe in an extravagant peacock blue poncho (his second of three costume changes). The punchy “Could Have Been Me” came very early on in their set, although didn’t stop the infectious sing-alongs.

It would have been nice to see the band show us a little more from their repertoire or, in fact, some new songs seeing as it had been so long since they last performed in the UK. On the whole, each member are talented musicians but it is sometimes distracted by the amount of drama on stage. The Struts are a good night out with songs you can dance to, and at the end of the day, you can’t really complain about that.

So what to expect if you buy a ticket to see The Struts? Abundant energy, sweat, costume changes, glitter and sore feet seem about right.