Maximo Park, Leeds University Union
Rating: 
Show: Maximo Park
Venue: Leeds University Union
Date: 24/04/07
In an era and genre where many bands are consumed and thrown away within a matter of months, Maxïmo Park are one of the great indie survivors. Their first LP, A Certain Trigger, was hailed as one of the best releases in a year which also gave the masses Bloc Party, The Rakes and The Futureheads.
All of these bands have had to face the daunting challenge of following through with their initial success. We don’t know whether Maxïmo Park will be able to live up to the weight of expectation with their sophomore album, Our Earthly Pleasure, released next month, but so far the signs have been good. First single, the solid if unadventurous, ‘Our Velocity’, has seen substantial radio airplay, and when tickets went on sale for this tour, they sold out in minutes.
Partly thanks to their rowdy performances, the Geordie quintet have earned a devoted following- in 2006 they even headlined at Reading Festival’s NME stage. The lead singer, Paul Smith, apparently discovered by the band singing drunkenly in their local pub, is also known for his Morrissey-style dancing and his insistence on reading lyrics out of a little red book whilst on stage.
This combination of quintessential British eccentricity and post-punk music should make for a fun experience. And, of course, Leeds can always be relied upon for a good night out.
