Despite a slow-ish start, attributable to an appalling sound mix for the opening tracks, Maxïmo Park’s first night of a two-night residence at the Brixton Academy gathered momentum quickly.

As with all of Maxïmo’s gigs, the set was performed with a perfect balance of bravado and humility. Mid-song, singer Paul Smith and keyboardist Lukas Woller are like a pair of hyperactive bunny rabbits, leaping and bounding around the stage like they own the place. Between numbers however, Smith makes a real effort to connect with the assembled masses, repeatedly thanking them for their support, speaking of the band’s pride in their music, and jesting in an endearingly self-deprecating way.

The set list featured all the fan favourites (‘A Certain Trigger’; Our Velocity’; ‘Apply Some Pressure’) and was peppered with tracks from their recently released album, Quicken The Heart, including the fantastic new track ‘Roller Disco Dreams’, which is, appropriately, about Brixton. Of the new tracks, ‘Let’s Get Clinical’ was probably both the best received and the most surprising – a dirty-talking song delivered in an awkward but charming fashion.

This sense of personality and connection, along with their brand of intelligent three- minute indie-pop tunes, have given Maxïmo Park a longevity that many of their peers have failed to achieve. Let’s just hope that the relatively poor reviews for Quicken The Heart (we gave it three stars last edition) don’t relegate this Newcastle outfit to the lower divisions.

Mike Eccleshall
photo: Rachel Lipsitz