CityLife

NME Awards Tours

Two Door Cinema Club

As an introduction to new bands, the NME Awards tours have become pretty much a live tour bible.

Any(indie)body who has gone on to become anybody has served their time on the NME tour bus since it launched in 1995. And what that experience has taught us all is it is never just about the headliner.

I mean, who can forget the years that arena favourites Coldplay and Florence + The Machine kicked the evening off?

And then there’s the variety of the bills – while last year’s demonstrates beautifully: Crystal Castles, Magnetic Man, Everything Everything and The Vaccines, all new, all different, all on the same bill to deliberately challenge the punter’s expectations.

 This year, things are no different either. And, just like the Coldplay and Flo years, it’s the artist at the bottom of the bill that promises to steal the show: the girl who gives that feminine touch to the naughtiest of four-letter words, Azealia Banks.

Third in the BBC’s annual Sound Of poll, Azealia came to national attention when her 212 single was bleeped to death before it was considered safe enough for radio and announced itself as a late contender for single of the year.

It was an electro hip-hop smash with more self-assurance than a sixth form common room.

And even though Azealia is barely into her 20s, she already looks like a kid destined to be on a world stage: raised in Harlem, saw tragedy, escaped it all through theatre and performance.

And better still, she’s only one outstanding talent worth catching on this year’s Awards tour. Because she’s joined by Northern Irish trio Two Door Cinema Club, Mercury Prize nominees Metronomy and London newbies Tribes – fresh on the back of the release of their debut album, Baby.

After nights of that, though, it’s time to make way for the older hands – and this year, that’s a rare appearance from French duo Justice on Monday.

Celebrated remixers and producers of one of the biggest anthems of the Noughties in the form of We Are Your Friends, Justice are back with a new album and tour after an extensive hiatus.

Their debut album, Cross, earned them a Grammy. But, if Audio, Video, Disco’s critical response so far is anything to go by, they could be about to
cement their position as one of the most important crossover dance acts of their generation.

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