Razorlight headlined Edinburgh’s Mash House with an intimate show ahead of the release of ‘Planet Nowhere’.
It’s hard to believe it’s been 15 years since Razorlight appeared on the music scene. And it was even harder to believe a band of their calibre had decided to celebrate their new album with an exclusive intimate show in a 230 capacity venue.
Opening with two songs from their well-loved catalogue, it was evident from the first notes of ‘In The Morning’ that this show would instantly ignite the nostalgia factor, transporting the room back to the indie hey-days with a band who were a staple in the scene.
Despite this air of nostalgia, this intimate UK tour was all about celebrating the band’s new era as the crowd were treated to the first previews of the band’s upcoming album release ‘Planet Nowhere’ which marked the band’s first full release in 6 years.
There was no time to rest as the band powered through their sweaty set in the small room – and it was not all indie anthems. This tour gave the band the chance to showcase their new album while also highlighting their versatility in both instrumental and vocal performance including ‘Empire Service’ and synth-soaked ‘Cool People’ alongside more traditional sounding Razorlight tracks alike ‘Dirty Luck’ and ‘Zombie Love’, which the crowd had evidently already brushed up on lyrics for.
Captivating a sold-out crowd with a set filled mostly with unheard songs is no small feat, yet the band achieved it effortlessly. The night flowed smoothly as they held the audience in the palm of their hand, engaging them with each as-yet-unknown track.
Flowing effortlessly through the album tracks as if they’d been live staples for years, Johnny Borell continually proved he was born to be a frontman as he effortlessly engaged, grooved and danced along with enthusiasm proudly showcasing each track.
Throwback tracks were always crowd highlights of the night including ‘In The City’ which saw beaming smiles from the band and crowd alike alongside ‘Don’t go back to Dalston’ as the Scottish accent filled the venue singing along. All too soon, it was time for the encore as the band bid ‘Goodnight’ before ending on a Scottish singalong with ‘America’.
Razorlight are back, and it feels like they never left. Few bands can make such an impact after 14 years and boldly reintroduce themselves with a fresh bold sound, but for Razorlight, it feels effortless.