Where do you begin with Titus Andronicus? Hailing from New Jersey and named after Shakespeare's most notoriously brutal play, the band have developed a cult following for their ambitious take on punk-rock.
Equally inspired by the driving force of Joe Strummer and the wounded heart of Bruce Springsteen, songwriter Patrick Stickles this year unveiled The Most Lamentable Tragedy, a full-on rock opera about his mental health struggles - a record that perfectly typifies why the group have developed such a loyal fan base.
Now touring the album, Titus Andronicus put on a stunning show at Village Underground in Shoreditch - here's what we learned.
1) Smooth jazz makes a surprisingly good warm-up for a punk-rock band
After the tones of support act Washington Irving faded away, the between-bands soundtrack fired up as the crowd milled to the bar. What was the scene-setting music – The Clash? The Boss? Nope, it was bossa nova classic The Girl from Ipanema. Smooth.
2) Patrick Stickles is a rock god
Titus Andronicus’s four genuinely staggering albums showcase frontman Patrick Stickles’s formidable talents as a brutally emotive and wickedly funny songwriter. Live, he breaks out as a true force of nature - wiry and bushily-bearded, croaking his eloquent lyrics with equal measures of ferocity and warmth. Who knows whether the band will ever cross over from cult heroes to widely-lauded legends, but history will mark Stickles out as a formidable talent.
3) Titus Andronicus sound better than they ever have
While Stickles is the leader of the gang, the rest of the band has been a rotating line-up through the years. Now they sound bigger than ever before, with three guitars in play, as well as bass, keyboard, and drums. Raucous and powerful, but tight.
4) A concept album about manic depression can be surprisingly fun
A 29-song, 93-minute, 5-act concept album about the seemingly unbreakable cycles of manic depression is never going to be everyone’s cup of tea. If The Most Lamentable Tragedy sounds relentlessly grim, it surprisingly isn’t – the songs vary from flat-out punk rackets to boozy bar-rock to dark-humoured aching ballads, defying pretentiousness. A full rendition of the album’s second act (The Magic Morning) proved that the epic record remains a powerhouse on-stage.
5) Dimed Out is a modern punk classic
Speaking of which, the final song in The Magic Morning, Dimed Out, is on an entire new level. Stickles’ ode to excess (“Don’t wanna buy an ounce / For me the right amount / Is the ENTIRE POUND!” he yells) is a perfect summary of the joyous intensity that Titus Andronicus are capable of. Performed live, it was unforgettable – confirmed as a modern punk classic by the wall of flailing arms that greeted it.
6) Their ballads are shatteringly amazing
Titus can bring the noise, but it’s their ballads that break you. The set opened with Four Score and Seven, the highlight from their stupendously great second album The Monitor. The first half of the song is a beautifully bruised lament complete with a heartbreaking harmonica solo, leading to a stunningly powerful crescendo that had the entire venue yelling: “you won’t be laughing so hard”. Elsewhere, No Future: Part 1 was an affectingly still interlude in an otherwise tumultuous set.
7) Jumpin’ Jack Flash
Closing the show, Stickles thanked the UK for producing the Rolling Stones, before the band launched into a faithful, spirited cover of Jumpin’ Jack Flash. True to form, it was a gas.
8) Punk’s not dead
Don’t believe me? Explain to me why my entire body is now an aching mess, then.
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