From the treehouse to the Academy: The Maccabees live in London

They were first heard amid the cacophony of mid noughties indie, in the settling debris of The Libertines, the stylish dancefloor pop of Franz Ferdinand and among that wave which included The Holloways and Good Shoes. At the time, while adored, they did still somewhat feel part of the wallpaper that surrounded the more influential likes of Arctic Monkeys. Their early releases, including “Latchmere” and “About Your Dress” were cherished bites of indie radio, just a little more than understated.

Since 2007’s Colour It In though, the band have quietly become one of the most acclaimed rock outfits. Performing three sold out nights at London’s 5,000 capacity Brixton Academy, they have proven themselves as an unmissable, unmistakable gem in the British music scene. They’re loud, intelligent, and varied on the outside, while warm, introvert and charismatic underneath. They are everything you want in a live band, with a collection of songs that creates a textured and unexpectedly intimate show to rival actually any other band touring right now.

What took The Maccabees from tree houses to main stages over the last decade is their fundamental understanding of songwriting and, as would become more important, performing live. In 2006 the band blended into the folky North London scene of the moment, with parties on boats and discos at Nambucca, but as British guitar music took a long exhale the band got to work on adapting and developing their sound.

2009’s Wall Of Arms, opening with the immeasurable “Love You Better” immediately detached them from most contemporaries. It was a confident, beautiful record that redefined them as artists. It was music outside of a scene. Along with Foals, they pushed and challenged their audience and the industry around them. The Maccabees went to great lengths to retain their often shy, softly-spoken manner while conducting rock symphonies of brass and electric string. They never abandoned anything done before, but boldly reimagined it. Seeing them live tonight (21st January), with this rich history in tow, the dots between then and now seem so clear, strung together, but ever so distant.

They deserve every one of these tickets sold. They’re not a band that got lucky on a song, or even two, but these shows represent what can happen when you get your head down and unfailingly write damn good music. The audience consist of men in their 40’s wearing various Britpop t-shirts, scrambling at the bar lock-armed with the missus, teenage girls barely 14 years-old-old timidly peering out from under their fringes, and everybody in between. There’s respect among fans. People at the show talk to each other, a rare sound at London gigs especially between the hyper-drunk and swooning terrified. You get the feeling that Maccabees fans are a clever, humble bunch.

As one group grind into the sky on “Precious Time”, others wait until “No Kind Words” to unleash their sweat in jittery half mosh pits. Couples engulf each other and share a moment on “Toothpaste Kisses” and just about everybody loses their shit during “Pelican”. A sign of The Maccabees real quality is that the big songs of the night are spread evenly from their first three albums. It’s only the recent Marks To Prove It that (save for its titular track) doesn’t seem to add much to the live experience. It’s unfortunate, but The Maccabees have hardly ever been an instant band and taking some time with the new songs will no doubt prove a worthwhile investment for future performances.

Without much fuss The Maccabees have coddled the outer edges of mainstream, dipping their heads in every now and again to assess the damage. The result is a properly entertaining band that span ten years of music evolution with grace and determination.