Wednesday 19/11/08 TV On The Radio @ Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

There's a storm brewing in the Shepherds Bush Empire tonight. It starts with the buzz among the people who have swollen the 105-year-old building to its gig capacity for the much recommended TV on the Radio. In a multi layered blast, the Brooklyn five-piece have the crowd surrounded as their ears take an almighty and harmonious battering courtesy of dual vocals from Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone, and Dave Sitek’s resonating guitars (and wind-chime accessory).

Movement among the crowd is few and far between tonight as they stand mesmerised by the tuneful narrative projected around them. The first (noticeable) reaction arrives several songs into the set with Wolf Like Me and sees them covered in a dense blanket of whirring melodies. There are parts in the set where it appears helicopter engines have been added to TV on the Radio’s instruments as the noise on stage continues to expand. Then there’s the calmer moments such as the slow and rhythm-heavy, Young Liars (from the 2004 EP of the same name) in which Tunde strides from one end of the stage to the other while the song climbs in its intensity. Though, at times these slower moments do grow weary.

Good thing then, that the funky melodies of recent single, Golden Age can transform the static pit to a dancefloor of sorts, with its tribal beats and Kyp’s high pitched vocals that hint at Michael Jackson’s disco era. During the last song, Staring at the Sun, a warm glow fills the venue not just from the red and orange spotlights on the group that are mirroring the lyrics but also in the sound as it swarms from the stage as the bass and guitars flicker in reverberating melodic drones, and the singers’ vocals soar beyond the roof taking everyone with them. Then the sound dilutes to nothing and the sun’s glare vanishes, as the crowd are grounded once again by the thought of the dark, cold and wet night outside that awaits them.

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