Words and photos by Rhona Murphy.
The Grade 2 listed venue, Troxy, has hosted many different types of events since it started up in 1933 as a cinema. Since then it’s been home to the Royal Opera House (rehearsal space), and a bingo hall before morphing into live events . From Vera Lynn to Robbie Williams, and Little Mix to Skrillex – Troxy has seen it all.
On Friday 25 October 2024, Troxy was the home for the independent record label Run For Cover’s (from Boston, Massachusetts) London showcase, with three American bands plus one from Australia.
This show was a headliner for American rock band (from Southeast Michigan and Northwest Ohio) – the highly adored Citizen performing their debut album ‘Youth’ from 2013 in its entirety. There are now five studio albums from Citizen so there’s heaps of material to choose from for their live shows but the London show was the first time many fans would have heard ‘Youth’ from start to finish played live.
Troxy was rammed with the majority of fans trying to inhabit the first 10 rows of the venue! It’s fair to say they were keen.
From the moment the intro to ‘Roam the Room’ started the crowd upped its energy and sang every word. It now became clear that many fans had positioned themselves for crowd-surfing and over the barrier they came before getting lovingly caught by security and gently guided to the side.
I could see this from my flattened position in the pit lane as I had obviously been in their way!
The crowd-surfing continued for the whole album and it was reminiscent to me of A Day To Remember’s live gigs. Fantastically exciting but with an element of danger to life and limb.
When ‘The Summer’ started the volume increased and the crowd pushed forward again, with a clear divide of those who wanted to be in very close proximity with each other and the barrier and the loving embrace from security, and those who preferred to move backwards to relative safety.
Citizen played Troxy like an arena with lead singer Mat Kerekes whipping up the energy like he was born to be a front man. Kerekes had the crowd in the palm of his hand as he powered through the Youth songs. It sounded every bit as fresh as it did back in 2013.
Main support was from indie rock band, Horse Jumper Of Love, who are also Boston based. These guys also have five studio albums to choose their setlist from, with the most recent ‘Disaster Trick’ which was released in August 2024. A slower more melodic style to Citizen, Horse Jumper Of Love is definitely a band to see again for a longer set.
Enumclaw from Tacoma, Washington were thoroughly entertaining with the lead singer Aramis Johnson stage right and the insanely energetic bass player Eli Edwards front and centre. They concluded their brilliant set with a people pile-up on stage before Eli dived into the crowd and ran off! He did somehow re-emerge unscathed and found his way back on stage to pack his kit up.
The opening band was Australian duo Armlock from Melbourne. This was indie, electro, shoegaze, dreamy heaven if you’re into this kind of music. They only played seven songs as openers but it was enough to draw the crowd forward and they’re on my list to catch again the next time they’re in the UK.
Citizen is: Mat Kerekes (vocals), Nick Hamm (lead guitar), Eric Hamm (bass), Mason Mercer (rhythm guitar) & Ben Russin (drums)
Studio albums:
- Youth (2013)
- Everybody Is Goin To Heaven (2015)
- As You Please (2017)
- Life In Your Glass World (2021)
- Calling The Dogs 2023
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Citizen
Horse Jumper of Love
Enumclaw
Armlock
