Albert Hammond Jr.

Spring & Airbrake, Belfast

The waistcoat is cinched tight, the jeans are super white and the ‘fro is Sideshow Bob circa 1997. Albert Hammond Jr. looks every inch a rock star. But then, as guitarist with The Strokes, that’s exactly what he is. What impresses tonight is that he doesn’t expect to coast on reputation. He’s here to sell his own music, songs that were, apparently, deemed not worthy of bearing the Strokes trademark. Bad call.

There’s charm and conviction and god damn melodies in evidence here that should shame Julian Casablancas out of his cooler-than-thou stupor. And passion. Gripping the microphone as if it were the backup ripcord on a freefall plummet, Hammond Jr. parachutes us into heartfelt terrain, songs like ‘Scared’ and ‘Call An Ambulance’ telling how women fuck you and fuck you up.

The band brings an honest-to-goodness, garage rock feel to proceedings. The three guitars utilised on most of the songs help add a little grit to the sweet gloss of ‘Back To 101’ and ‘In Transit’. And there are two firecracker covers, first of Frank Black’s – “you know the fat guy outta the Pixies” – ‘Old Black Dawning’, and then The Cars’ ‘Don’t Cha Stop’.

The hairstyle might suggest Sideshow, but as tonight’s performance confirms Albert Hammond Jr. is a bona fide main attraction. Strokes or no Strokes.

Words_Francis Jones

Issue #51 - I Told You This Would Be A Good Issue

Featuring Biffy Clyro, Of Montreal, Duke Special, Frightened Rabbit, Cold War Kids, Jay Reatard, Pat Mills, and more.