The Zutons @ The Refectory
By Chris AudsleyThe Zutons got the ball rolling with current single "Why won't you give me your love?", a perfect example of why they are so popular. An energetic performance filled with great harmonies and that instantly recognisable retro sound.
This was followed by a string of up-tempo numbers including "Havana gang brawl," which was probably the only weak point of the night. When these songs are played consecutively, you can't help but feel that they are a bit samey.
Once the more melodic songs like "Confusion", "Remember me" and the excellent "Valerie" were introduced, it seemed to break up the set a bit more. The crowd sang their hearts out through the latter two and shook their hips when the band picked up the pace.
The Zutons finished the night off with "Zuton Fever", a note perfect rendition of "You will you won't" and an entertaining ska-influenced instrumental.
At no point did the band feel that they had to draw songs out to fill the set, they kept the tracks down to around album length. With their energy this made their impact even greater than when first hearing their albums.
