Click here for photos from this show in the QRO Concert Photo Gallery
Click here for photos of Best Coast at 2015 Maverick Music Festival in San Antonio, TX
Click here for photos of Best Coast at Converse Rubber Tracks in Brooklyn, NY on February 28th, 2015
Click here for photos of Best Coast at Fox Theater in Oakland, CA on February 21st, 2014
Click here for photos of Best Coast at Pier 26 in New York, NY on September 7th, 2013
Click here for photos of Best Coast at 2013 Riot Fest Toronto in Toronto, ON, Canada
Click here for photos of Best Coast at 2013 Governors Ball in New York, NY
Click here for photos of Best Coast on Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, CA on September 6th, 2012
Click here for photos of Best Coast at SXSW 2012 in Austin, TX
Click here for photos of Best Coast at 2011 Escape To New York Festival in Southampton, NY
Click here for photos of Best Coast at 2011 Sasquatch! Music Festival in George, WA
Click here for QRO’s review of Best Coast at Thekla in Bristol, U.K. on May 1st, 2011
Click here for photos of Best Coast at The Music Box in Los Angeles, CA on February 24th, 2011
Click here for QRO’s review of Best Coast at Bowery Ballroom in New York, NY on September 29th, 2010
Click here for photos of Best Coast at South Street Seaport in New York, NY on July 23rd, 2010
It’s technically summer outside, but you wouldn’t know it from looking at the grey clouds or by the number of households already reaching for their heater’s ‘on’ switch. Luckily LA’s surf pop outfit Best Coast were in town, for the second time this summer, to inject some much-needed sunny upbeat vibes into our dreary environs on September 18th.
Last here in London just a few months ago in June, Best Coast played sold-out 2000+ capacity theatres, which topped off a pretty stellar twelve months for the band: they followed up their break-out garage-pop debut album Crazy For You with the slightly more polished The Only Place (QRO review), collaborated with Hollywood darling Drew Barrymore on a music video, and lead singer Bethany Constantino even brought out a clothing range with hip retailers Urban Outfitters, such has been their success.
And so it was a surprise to many (your faithful scribe/s included) that these indie darlings announced they would play an intimate one-off gig “to get close to their real fans” in London’s tucked-away music venue Borderline on a quiet Tuesday night; the basement venue has a capacity of 200, 300 max and felt more like a cozy mate’s living room than an establishment in the city.
Fear of Men were the sole support on the night, kicking things off with their upbeat indie, alt pop and playing for a short 30 minute stint, which was enough to get the crowd into gear.
By the time Best Coast nonchalantly came on stage, the venue was shoulder-to-shoulder packed, with fans taking up every space in the tiny venue and photographers hanging off stairwells to get a good view. The band, bathed in a red light, launched into “When The Sun Don’t Shine” and “Crazy For You”.
Core members Bethany Constantino, dressed in a slacker summer dress and Doc Martins, and Bobb Bruno, all in black, played as a fuller-sounding four-piece tonight, joined by Rafe Mandel on drums and Brett Mielke on bass.
Although there’s an obvious maturity in the band’s sound and songwriting on the new album, the new songs, played live, gelled seamlessly alongside the older, fuzzier and quirkier tracks. They debuted their brand-spanking new single “Do You Love Me Like You Used To” and also played crowd-pleasers such as “The Only Place”, “I Want You”, “When I’m With You” and “Boyfriend”.
Although happy to be so up-close with the band, the audience as fairly subdued and quietly mouthed the lyrics while gently bobbing along to the tunes. At one point Bethany even quipped: “You’re very quiet, yell or, do something”, to which the crowd became a little livelier.
Best Coast are loved for their simple, undemanding pop tunes and breezy chilled-out vibe, which was the perfect antidote to the chilling air swelling outside and a great way to spend a mid-week evening in this crazy, busy city.