This City @ Tut’s 06-05-09

THIS CITY
King Tut’s, Glasgow, May 6 * * *

You couldn’t fault Brighton outfit This City’s passion, self-belief or the honesty of their performance tonight. It was a relentless and energetic display from the quintet but with much of their nine-song set reliant on the same rhythm and structure, it was a night when the music lacked the necessary punch or variety.
They seldom strayed far from the This City template. Stop-start riffs, screamed indecipherable lyrics and dance-infused drums made songs like Colours, Just Because and Picture This come and go in an indistinguishable blur.
To their credit the five-piece never let up or gave less than their all throughout – no mean feat when you consider the crowd numbered less than forty. They certainly didn’t have any problem winning over the dozen or so punters at the barrier who happily bounced and clapped along to Middle Ground and final number Kids.
However, despite singer Chris Purr’s best efforts it was hard to muster much enthusiasm for This City’s blend of indie, hardcore and pop. With hooks in short supply and a tendency for repetition it was a performance that overall failed to deliver where it counts, in the song department.