I first saw Lightspeed Champion back in February at the Carling Academy in Oxford. At the time the band had been together for less than six months and it was apparent that Dev was finding his feet with his new band mates and they were still working out what worked (and did’nt) cut it live. Dev Hynes has always been a bit of an enigma. He has produced some of the most diverse and interesting music over the past few years, however for some reason he always appears to be full of self doubt and is genuinely surprised when his music is positively received. The fact that he starts each gig wandering on stage with an instamatic camera to photograph the audience is extremely sweet however rather odd. What does he expect? An empty auditorium? Not likely.
Whilst the show in Oxford was a nervy experience the gig last night at Koko was a lot more confident. The new material sounded a lot rockier than most of the tracks from his debut album, “Falling off the lavender bridge” which is a bluesy cross between Gram Parsons and Belle and Sebastian. Some of the tracks off the album have also been reworked and there seems to be a greater emphasis on Dev’s guitar work. In fact I have to say that it’s highly amusing watching Dev playing his impromptu guitar solos as if he’s been on loan with The Black Crowes. Watching him grapple in such a pseudo macho manner is not really befitting of the sensitive gent who is more Quintin Crisp than Keith Richards.
I have to say that I enjoy watching Dev live and think that his album is one of great masterpieces of 2008. Forget the Courteeners, Foals and Black Kids, “Falling off the lavender bridge” is one debut that I believe will stand the test of time.
Written by John Rahim