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MTV Review: The Maccabees Get Us Hot And Sweaty At Corsica Studios

The south London five piece wow crowds with a tiny secret gig...

Back in April, The Vaccines took to a tiny pub in London to perform to just over 100 people atthe smallest gig of their lives.

Last night (Thursday 23 July), The Maccabees were the second band to perform at a Shortlist Sessionwith the not-so-secret gig being announcedon Wednesday afternoon. And what better way to announce it than on the cover of a magazine handed out to thousands of London commuters.

Hundreds of fans queued outside Corsica Studios, the tiny southLondon venue in which the band would be playing an exclusive live show for a lucky few.

The five piece live in the Elephant and Castle area so the venue couldn't be more fitting, bringing them back to their roots and the location in which they recorded their latest record 'Marks To Prove It'.

I was one of the lucky ones that got into the tiny venue, leaving lots of fans disappointed outside behind me. As with all things this "low-key", there are bound to be some un'Happy Faces' left outside.

With no support act, the band went straight in, starting promptlyat 7:30pm - which feels ludicrously early for a gig these days. They started with a classic from their second album of the same name, 'Wall Of Arms', which really set the pace for the rest of the evening.

Sweat was dripping down the walls of the tiny venue afterone song, as we crammed in like sardines. However, no-one cared! It's this vibe that bigger bands miss now, the grittiness of those small, intimate shows,and now The Maccabees get the chance to relive those earliermoments in their career.

The set was, to everyone's delight, a Maccabees greatest hits show with the perfect ratio of new to old material. With 'Marks To Prove' 'It' outnext Friday, we wanted a glimpse of what to expect, but we also wanted to hear the band thrash around to 'Latchmere'. Luckily, we got both.

'Spit It Out', 'Kamakura' and latestsingle 'Something Like Happiness' were among the new material showcased on the night, all sounding utterly spectacular in the live setting. Whereas on the other end of the spectrum, we heard classic after classic, with 'Precious Time' and 'No Kind Words' being the highlights.

The band finished their insanely good set with lead single from'Given To The Wild', 'Pelican'. Its upbeat pace and infectious chorus left every member of the crowd in complete awe of a band that have come so far over these 11 years.

We're now even MORE excited for'Marks To Prove It,'and for what the rest of the year holds for the band.

Set List
Wall OfArms
Feel To Follow
Love You Better
Kamakura
Something Like Happiness
Latchmere
Precious Time
Marks To Prove It
Spit It Out
No Kind Words
Pelican

By Megan Downing, @megandowning

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