CityLife

Must see: NME Shockwaves Tour 2010

The Maccabees

THE Shockwaves NME Awards gigs have almost certainly become the shows that determine which bands we’ll all be listening to by the summer.

An enviable list of groups have passed through the ranks on to greatness – last year alone, the tour boasted Glasvegas, Friendly Fires, White Lies and Florence + The Machine (unbelievably, Flo was bottom of the bill) – from the Arctic Monkeys to The Killers and Coldplay.

This year’s bill, though, is a celebration of some of the biggest alt-bands of the moment, but they’re ones that could well be left sitting on the fringes even after the awards are over.

Headlined by the much celebrated, commercial underachievers The Maccabees, the tour also boasts slots from Bombay Bicycle Club, The Big Pink and The Drums.

It’s a line-up that’s putting The Maccabees’ lead singer, Orlando Weeks (pictured), on edge. “It feels like quite a responsibility, when we’re rehearsing,” he says about headlining the tour.

“Because it’s such a good lineup, so you have to play well, but it’s going to be a good way to round off the Wall Of Arms record and make sense of that.”

They’re right to worry. The Drums are the NME’s current tip for the top in 2010 (read an interview with them on page 22), Bombay Bicycle Club’s debut album, I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose, garnered gushing reviews from all quarters last year, and 4AD’s The Big Pink have breathed much needed new ideas into the electro-pop scene.

The other implication of that line-up is that this year’s tour is a bit of a boys club. With so many virile young lads on the road, is there an outrageous rider planned?

“I don’t think we’ve ever asked for anything expensive on our rider,” says Weeks.

“This time around we’ve asked the people at the venues to make us a mix CD of obscure party songs from across the world. And we’ve got to not know at least a couple of the songs.

“But that’s the kind of thing you put on your rider and people go, ‘Oh, sorry, we left it at home…’.

“But maybe if I put it in print they’ll be more inclined to get obscure.”

Academy - February 6, 2010 - £16.

The Shockwaves NME Awards Shows has just announced an exclusive date with headliners The Courteeners at the Ruby Lounge on February 13, 2010. For your chance to win tickets, just go online to enter at the Competitions section of CityLife.co.uk.