Axis of Awesome
Live Review

Two years ago I reviewed Axis of Awesome in the mid-sized Wine Bar of the Gilded Balloon; this year they have sold out the venue’s flagship Debating Hall. The question the trio are now asking is where do they go from here, and in a snub to the place that has been their home for the last four years they suggest a move to the Pleasance.

This sold-out show may well prove they are outgrowing the space that the Gilded Balloon can provide, but their audience is a little subdued for what has been designed as a rock extravaganza – including floor-to-ceiling banners of each band member. Although keyboard player Benny Davis, being the the much-maligned underdog, has a banner of the kid from Jerry McGuire instead. Lee Naimo and Jordan Raskopoulos make up the rest of the band and their constant bullying of Davis is one of the many running jokes through the hour.

Its normally a cardinal sin for Edinburgh acts to use old material in their shows but AOA announce that they will be bringing us some old classics as well as some newer songs, and when they launch into ‘Birdplane’ as their second number I half expect the audience to go wild and start singing along, as this take on the Five For Fighting hit has been one of their staples over the last few years and even has its own music video on YouTube. But either this crowd are new to the joys of Birdplane or they are just too apathetic to show any interest. It's a real shame because one of the highlights of these shows is the normal foot-stomping, hand-clapping sense of fun in the audience.

We're treated to more old classics like The Language of Love, What Would Jesus Do and How to Write A Love Song as well as new anthems that are sure to become earworms like Can You Hear The Fucking Music Coming Out Of My Car, an annoyingly catchy hard dance number which may end up adding to the problem it is highlighting.

AOA always provide a good hour of fun, and although they are not bringing a whole new hour it is great to hear the Four Chord Song as an encore and it would have been missed had it not been included. And even this reluctant audience couldn't escape the Axis’s awesomeness, as I heard numerous people singing their songs quietly to themselves as they were leaving the gig.