Future Kings Of Spain

I have seen the Future Kings of Spain, and they are rock ’n’ roll. From the moment Joey Wilson, Tony Hegarty and Bryan McMahon take the stage, it’s clear that this isn’t about a glorious homecoming gig, a celebratory shindig in front of friends and family. Fuck that, this is pure, adrenaline-fuelled rock ’n’ roll, with Wilson’s primordial howl hitting the audience like a slap in the kisser. And we love it!

They’re a classic three-piece, with perhaps a nod in the direction of Dinosaur Jnr and a hint of Sugar, but possessed of a ballsy, in-your-face attitude that’s all their own.

Third track in, current single ‘Face I Know’ is greeted by a roar of recognition, before they launch into a stunning cover version of Todd Rundgren’s ‘Love Of The Common Man’. New track ‘Traps’ is absolutely amazing: a hook-laden monster of a song, it has huge crossover appeal and bodes seriously well for their forthcoming debut album. The sonic wall of noise is rebuilt, though, for the frantic ‘A Place For Everything And Everything In Its Place’, before future single ‘Hanging Around’ claws its way into the equation.

And still they can keep the best in reserve: the comparative restraint of ‘Upside Down’ contrasts nicely with the pure anger and energy that went before, the guitar chiming rather than crashing and Joey’s mantra of “Just stay alive” still ringing after the last note dies. Then, by way of an encore, they run through the incendiary ‘Face I Know’ for a second time. Ear-ringingly loud, subtly melodic and stunningly powerful: it rocks like a motherfucker.
When is the album out again?…