Incubus at the Hammersmith Apollo

Following the relative disappointment of If Not Now, When? and considering frontman Brandon Boyd’s work with his new outfit Sons of the Sea, Californian rock band Incubus had until recently looked all but set for the history books and perhaps the occasional reunion tour. That was until the announcement of an upcoming EP Trust Fall (Side A) late last year, accompanied by promotional tour dates, breathed new life into their long-standing career. With just four tracks released so far and (Side B) on the way, the band’s latest work has been credited as a much needed return to type, with a dose of experimentation thrown in for good measure.

It was really no surprise that there was an air of excitable expectation accompanying the countdown clock above the stage at Hammersmith Apollo on Tuesday night. As the last few seconds ticked away and the band took up their positions, there were warm-up mosh pits breaking out in the crowd before the first guitar lick had even been played.

Not wishing to stand on ceremony, the band immediately went into the grungy hit Wish You Were Here from their 2001 album Morning View and followed it up with Light Grenades’ crowd-pleaser Anna Molly before even acknowledging the jam-packed venue. The 90-minute set, an across the boards tour of their best known tracks with three of the new releases woven carefully in, had the pace and balance befitting of the band’s now veteran status. While the biggest reactions were reserved for Nice to Know You, Pardon Me and Drive, which kicked off the encore, recent work also drew the kind of response Boyd and co were no doubt hoping for with new music on the way in the coming months.

By all accounts, taken from the heaving masses filing out into the Hammersmith air, this was a great gig performed by a band showing no signs of rust for their time away. While some of the songs played didn’t land as well as others, the set was designed in such a way that the atmosphere never became too flat as any slower number was quickly succeeded by a sing-along anthem to recapture any loss of attention. A successful return to the stage that will no doubt leave fans itching for more news about (Side B)’s release date later this year.

Tom Halbert
Photos: Guifré de Peray

For further information about Incubus and future events visit here.

Watch the video for Trust Fall here: