Counting Crows at the Roundhouse

Since their debut back in 1993, Counting Crows have had a steady stream of hits ranging from lively and toe-tapping to slower, more heartfelt ballads. Known for their energetic and engaging live performances, the penultimate London date of their latest tour, celebrating the release of their newest album Somewhere Under Wonderland, promised to be quite a show.

Almost as soon as support act, singer-songwriter Lucy Rose, leaves the stage the anticipation builds. The Roundhouse is fit to bursting as the band emerges, accompanied by Bill Wither’s Lean on Me. They waste no time in kicking off what proves to be a fun evening with a rousing performance of fan favourite Round Here, which trails off seamlessly into Scarecrow, the second single from the new album. Happily, the first two songs set the tone for the rest of the night; the band plays a superb mix of new and old with a few covers sprinkled here and there, a blend that has the crowd screaming for more.

The band’s front man, Adam Duritz, truly goes the extra mile to make their performance special as he tells us: “Every night is different!” He leads the clapping for some of the covers, hands the mike to the audience for some of the bigger hits and comments that the next time he comes to the UK he could use the audience’s collective enthusiasm to take over something – “maybe France”. Duritz’s passion and the good balance of the set list keeps the show together and the audience captivated – truly a sight to behold.

The encore, though, is what makes the evening spectacular. The band waits just long enough that the audience is still caught up in the excitement of the night before bursting back on stage with Palisades Park. A tried-and-tested medley of Rain King and folk song Oh Susannah follows, which has almost everyone in the crowd singing along with gusto. They finish on a high note with Holiday in Spain and everyone leaves, buzzed and happy.

Counting Crows may straddle that thin line between having a distinctive sound and doing the same thing over and over again, but their stage presence and the sheer adoration and energy their fans have make it hard not to enjoy their shows.

Natasha Furlong

For further information about Counting Crows and future events visit here.

Watch the video for Palisades Park here: