Razorlight at Civic Hall, Wolverhampton

Mar 3 2009 By Andy Richards

Razorlight were stopped in their tracks as they headed to the West Midlands last year, when Johnny Borrell succumbed to a throat infection.

Wolverhampton Civic Hall had sold out so hundreds were disappointed and for a time fearful the band may not be able to confirm a further date.

On Sunday night, with new album, Slipway Fires, to plug, they finally made it - and how.

Johnny and the boys, Björn Ågren (guitar) Carl Dalemo (bass) Andy Burrows (drums) were slick, loud and up for it.

They have made a seemingly swift and rapid journey from the London bar-band scene to become huge cultural phenomenon to live their dream.

Their previous album, Razorlight, shot to number 1 in the chart, and its first single In The Morning went to number 2. The follow up America, that memorable song of love and confusion, held the number 1 UK airplay slot for weeks.

So how does a band, even as talented as Razorlight, follow that?

With difficulty, I’d say, so maybe that’s why there was no hard sell as far as Slipway Fires was concerned.

What they delivered was an energetic celebration of all that is good about Razorlight, with plenty of early stuff, most of the big hits, and the best of the new album.

Kicking off with Back To The Start, they were four songs in before the first of the new tracks, Tabloid Lover was aired.

Borrell, all toussled hair and spindly legs, had the crowd eating out of his hand as he let the music do the talking and Before I Fall To Pieces, America and Hostage To Love quickly followed.

A great sound, plenty of beer throwing, lots of singalongs and, during an encore, an apology from Johnny for cancelling the first time. He’d more than made up for it.