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 Click here for photos of sights from this show in the QRO Concert Photo Gallery

 Click here for QRO's review of the NME Shockwaves Tour at O2 Academy in Leeds, U.K. on February 9th, 2011

 

The 2012 NME Tour came to O2 Academy in Leeds on Wednesday, February 15th, with Two Door Cinema Club, Tribes, Metronomy, and Azealia Banks.

The crowd waited impatiently, rammed together in the tiny Leeds Academy hall, mainly full of late teens/early twenties, but thankfully Azealia Banks was right on time.  This beautiful ball of energy bounced onto the stage, stunningly dressed in light grey leggings and a black bikini top with a striking wide rimmed black hat; she sang clearly and with passion to the crowd.

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 Click here for photos of Azealia Banks from this show in the QRO Concert Photo Gallery

 

Banks' lyrics completely counterbalanced what she looks like, though, with the naughty words that flowed from her mouth.  Her first words were screamed,  "Leeds, let's make some fucking noise!"

Banks performed as though she was headlining a festival, and enjoyed every moment.  It showed, bending over and shaking tail feather hands behind her booty, laughing and singing and engaging herself to those who were open to her.  Well done Azealia; a true artist of your time.

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 Click here for photos of Two Door Cinema Club from this show in the QRO Concert Photo Gallery

 Click here for photos of Metronomy at 2012 Ultra Music Festival in Miami, FL in the QRO Concert Photo Gallery

 Click here for photos of Metronomy at CMJ 2011 in New York, NY in the QRO Concert Photo Gallery

 Click here for QRO's review of Metronomy at Hudson River Park in New York, NY on July 28th, 2011

 

Electronic music group Metronomy was formed by Joseph Mount in Totnes, Devon, England in 1999.  The current band consists of Joseph Mount (composer, singer, keyboards and guitar), Anna Prior (drums and vocals), Oscar Cash (saxophone, backing vocals, guitars and keyboards) and Gbenga Adelekan (bass guitar and vocals).  Their music consisted of instrumental electronic music and more recently, with the release of Nights Out, vocal electronic pop music.

Behind Metronomy on stage was a huge poster with four huge funky illustrations, which made for a great backdrop.  Mount stood predominately front stage with his mop of brown curly hair and short beard.  He obviously had his own admirers in the crowd who screamed his name as they walked on...  You could see his cheeky smile as he appreciated the compliment.

Prior is an amazing female drummer, her red hair flying along with the beats.  Cash off the stage looks like a shy, handsome and approachable young man, however onstage he played like a demon.  As for Adelekan, well, how cool can you be?  From the black-rimmed Eric Morecombe/Jarvis Cocker glasses to the big excited grin, he held the crowd at the front of the stage with the neck of the guitar in the air; he lived for the moment.  All of Metronomy wore round white light disks on their chests that lit up and took the beat of a couple of their songs.  Just simply cool.  You know when you're at a gig and the lead singer shouts, "We love you!"?  When Joseph ‘Blue-Eyes’ Mount says it, he means it.

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 Click here for photos of Two Door Cinema Club from this show in the QRO Concert Photo Gallery

 Click here for photos of Tribes at Hard Rock Hotel & Casinos Presentation in New York, NY on December 8th, 2011 in the QRO Concert Photo Gallery

 

The crowd of mostly girls strained at the front as the lads of Tribes came on stage, arms outstretched.  Musically the band is similar to The Clash, Bowie, and The Pixies (and maybe a bit of Bob Dylan here and there), yet are very diverse tracks.  Frontman Johnny Lloyd threw himself into the crowd during the last song - lying on the top of about twelve girls was obviously like his dream come true; he left them and the crowd smiling, cheering and wanting more.

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 Click here for photos of Two Door Cinema Club from this show in the QRO Concert Photo Gallery

 Click here for photos of Two Door Cinema Club at 2011 Main Square Festival in Arras, France in the QRO Concert Photo Gallery

 Click here for photos of Two Door Cinema Club at Terminal 5 in New York, NY on January 21st, 2011 in the QRO Concert Photo Gallery

 Click here for photos of Two Door Cinema Club at Paradise in Boston, MA on January 19th, 2011 in the QRO Concert Photo Gallery

 Click here for photos of Two Door Cinema Club at CMJ 2010 in New York, NY in the QRO Concert Photo Gallery

 

Two Door Cinema Club are an indie rock band from Bangor and Donaghadee, County Down, Northern Ireland.  Formed in 2007, the band is composed of band members Sam Halliday (lead guitar, backing vocals), Alex Trimble (vocals, rhythm guitar, beats, synths), and Kevin Baird (bass, backing vocals).

This was the band everyone had been waiting for.  They arrived through a grid of light panels behind blue lighting and smoke.  Girls turning to each other and crooning, "awwwww" as Trimble, clad in a navy fleece and looking like he's off to a family bonfire, welcomed the reaction.  His beaming smiles were as big as his enthusiasm.

It was like the crowd at last had understood what they were there for - dancing, enjoying, clapping, singing along; a great atmosphere.  The music was intense.  Two Door felt every note; the crowd loved them.  The drummer was like Animal from The Muppets, his arms a visual blur.

The lack of phones in the air recording their memories was refreshing, especially given the average age of the spectators.  Everything about the whole evening of entertainment was fresh, young, exciting and enthusiastic.