Coin / O2 Kentish Town Forum / London

Sep 3

Sep 3 Coin / O2 Kentish Town Forum / London

A trip down to old London town tonight and to the magnificent O2 Kentish Town Forum for the visit of US pop rockers Coin

In support tonight we had Youth Sector, a five piece alt-indie band from Brighton. I was due to see them before, but the show was cancelled so I was looking forward to this to finally see what they were like. Hitting the stage in matching suits and yellow shirts. The suits were fantastic and looked unfinished, as if they’d been pinched off a tailors dummy !

The set is full of energy and some great interaction with the crowd. The music is fun and enjoyable and the kind of thing that just begs to be danced to, embodied in the opening track Spitting Image which builds the party mood.

The next track Free Parking has more of a synth feel to it and combines some complex harmonies with catchy vocals. Perhaps my favourite song in the set was No.1 Bestseller which has a great punchy bassline from Josh and a funky feel to it

As the set draws to a close, we enjoy The Ball with it’s funky guitars and disco-style beats. Again high energy and fun, and has an old school 80’s feel to it. Self Exile has a different feel to it, with great ‘stabbing’ guitars and powerful drumbeats. The crowd are loving every beat, and enjoy singing along to the chorus “That should do it, That should do it, That should do it, This time”.

We finish the set with No Fanfare which is a belter, fast out of the gates it has everyone dancing around, with sharp guitar riffs and synth lead lines over a frantic and powerful bass. Again the crowd are shouting along to the chorus.

I have to say, Youth Sector were definitely worth the wait. Not my usual fair I have to admit, but it’s fun, it’s enjoyable and they have a great stage presence. An impressive performance and I’d love to see a full headline set someday soon.

Set List

Spitting Image

Free Parking (Free Parking EP 2023)

Won’t Stop The Wheel (Quarrels EP 2023)

No.1 Bestseller (Contemporary EP 2022)

Crime

The Ball (Single 2022)

Self Exile (Contemporary EP 2022)

No Fanfare (Mundanity EP 2020)

After the usual change over on stage, and an enjoyable chat with the security crew, the lights dimmed and the crowd cheered as US alt/Indie pop band Coin hit the stage. Formed back in 2012 in Nashville, Tennessee Coin are Chase Lawrence (Vocals & keyboards), Ryan Winnen (drums) and Joe Memmel (guitar).

With their latest album “Uncanny Valley” coming out in 2022, the set was a nice mix from their back catalogue, which was nice to see. The set opens with Into My Arms from 2020’s “Dreamland” album. The track starts the show on a punchy note, with front man Chase Lawrence’s synth-vocals playing over punchy drumbeats and guitar riffs. It has an upbeat, dance like feel. Then we have Chapstick, Cutie and I Want It All which demonstrate fully what a great frontman Chase is, as he bounds round the stage. With a huge smile, he oozes emotion and joy as he sings, and balances this effortlessly as he switches between simple mic, and keys and guitar. It’s the type of tune that makes you 0want to shout along and is vibrant and catchy. The sound has an 80’s funk feel to it…. Feel good, and happy….. infectious even.

Highlights from the set for me, included an incredibly catchy version of Hannah from the impressive “How Will You Know If You Never Try” album from 2017. Another one is Growing Pains which has the usual classic Coin catchy chorus and bridge sections and an infectious spritely pop beat which perfectly matches their stage energy.

Then there’s Let it All Out from 2020’s “Dreamland” album, another fantastic track. The crowd are loving every second of the performance, shouting and screaming at the barrier.

The tempo drops for a while with the lovely Malibu 1992 which has a more ballad-like feel. Atmospheric and ambient, a real hit with the crowd.

As the set draws to a close, the crisp Telecaster like clear struts ring out announcing the start of Talk Too Much a bright funky number that has all of us moving along. But perhaps the last track is the best as the crowd erupt at the initial beats of Crash My Car blast out. A great bass beat shining through, the lyrics are sublime on this one and the crowd shout out the chorus “You can crash my car tonight” every time.

Coin were new to me, only picking up on them on Spotify in readiness for the show, and I have to say I really enjoyed the evening. The crowd were a big part of that too, full of energy and excitement, which added to the atmosphere on stage. Coin are great…. Full of energy, and tight producing great music (same goes for Youth Sector) with a fun attitude on life.

It’s one of those nights that just makes you smile as you walk out into the night. A great night and thoroughly recommended.

Set List

Into My Arms (Dreamland 2020)

Chapstick (Uncanny Valley 2022)

Cutie (Uncanny Valley 2022)

I Want It All (Dreamland 2020)

Take A Picture (Uncanny Valley 2022)

Hannah (How Will You Know If You Never Try 2017)

Cemetery (Dreamland 2020)

Boyfrield (How Will You Know If You Never Try 2017)

Run (Coin 2015)

Growing Pains (Single 2018)