Live Review: The Automatic - Audio Brighton 27/03/10

The last time this reviewer saw the Automatic live it was June 2006 and the Welsh four piece were ending a frantic 18 months of touring with a first album closing, homecoming gig in the heart of the valleys. Fast forward four years and The Automatic take to the stage Audio stage with a change of personnel (yelping keyboardist Pennie replaced by former Yourcodenameis:milo man Paul Mullen after the first album), and a recently released third record in tow.


Opening with latest single ‘Interstate’, the Automatic power through a set heavy with new album material, vocal harmonies and powerful guitars sounding more mature, and more alive than they ever have. Of course, the old material is greeted by the biggest cheers - ‘Raoul‘, ‘That’s What She Said’ and ‘Recover’ have been slyly reworked without losing their sing-a-long brilliance - but even the lads themselves don‘t seem to mind. Closing the triumphant set with powerhouse anthem ‘Steve McQueen’ wearing large rubber animal heads, even a bear, a horse, a pig and a penguin can’t hide the band from the adulation of the Brighton crowd.

The Automatic have come along way since the first album boom of 2006, buoyed by the recording and self-release of their third album, they’re a tighter, louder and dare I say it, a better band than they’ve ever been. To show you just how far they’ve come, I nearly made it the whole review without mentioning that song.

New album 'Tear The Signs Down' is available now.