The Strokes performed at Newcastle's Utilita Arena on Sunday, October 23, marking what is believed to be their first ever show in the city. The New York band are currently on their Reality Awaits tour, and the venue was at full capacity for the influential group's debut Newcastle appearance.
Classics Draw Big Response
As expected, older tracks such as Reptilia, Last Nite and Hard to Explain drew a huge response from the crowd. Prior to the show, several set lists had been circulating online, prompting considerable discussion about which songs would be included and which would be left out. The inclusion of Under Control was a highlight, as it had been missing from a couple of previous shows.
Guitarist Nick Valensi was absent, taking a break from the group, though he is expected to rejoin at some point in the near future. His replacement for the tour, Steve Schiltz, filled in and played everything note perfect.
Encore and Crowd Interaction
A contentious issue was the encore, or lack thereof. There was an encore, but it was quick, and there were grumbles as the crowd filed out, with many feeling the set had been cut prematurely short. Others mentioned the very little crowd interaction from frontman Julian Casablancas. Early on, bassist Nikolai Fraiture did say a few things which got the crowd going, though all that could be heard was 'Newcastle'.
Despite the lack of fan interaction and the short encore, the band sounded incredible, with Casablancas's voice as cool and lazy as it has always been. Albert Hammond Jnr remains an absolute legend, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti is sporting an outstanding moustache.
Set List and Reaction
The Strokes played almost everything the reviewer wanted to hear, particularly the early material from Is This It and Room on Fire. However, the apparent scrapping of the last three songs from the set, including Selfless and Threat of Joy, left some feeling short changed, especially given ticket prices.
Despite the swift ending, the band brought out the crowd-pleasing classics and put on a good show. With a back catalogue as near-perfect as theirs, people are always going to be wanting more.
