American Music Club (Live)

The Empire, Belfast

As the first song reaches its climactic moment, Mark Eitzel stumbles and drops the microphone. This is the perfect encapsulation of the career of American Music Club in microcosm. After years and years and years of near misses, critical acclaim, high hopes and expectations, crushing disappointments, and disillusionment, American Music Club are still dropping the microphone at the critical moment. And long may they do so.

Eitzel’s song-writing credentials are not in doubt, with critical acclaim and “best songwriter” awards cluttering the shelves, but one thing that is often overlooked is his prowess as a singer. Tonight, Eitzel raises the roof with his voice, the sheer power of the notes literally filling the shell of the venue, sucking the breath out of the audience. The band power on behind him, chiming guitars wrestling for space in a musical maelstrom, but Eitzel’s voice soars high above, cutting straight through to your heart.

Although it might seem like a disservice, it’s true to say that AMC are the best bar band you’ve ever heard. Eitzel is a consummate performer, keeping us interested, telling stories, cracking jokes, and stumbling about in his dishevelled suit like Charlie Chaplain, and the set shifts from bruised confessionals to drunken sing-along’s in the blink of an eye. One minute they’re tearing your heart out, the next they’re dragging you out of your seat, and swinging you around in an alcoholic waltz.

This is performing without a safety net, and by the end, we’ve gone on an emotional journey with them, having lived through the songs with Eitzel. So I’ll say that this is the best performance I’ve ever seen. American Music Club can put this review in the awards cabinet, alongside all the other glowing notices, and it can gather dust, and slowly decay. But it was beautiful in the heat of the moment, and nothing can take that away. Steven Rainey

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.