Counterfeit
The Garage // London, England // 15 August, 2019
Photos and review by Rachael Dowd
Following a slew of sold-out shows in Europe, Counterfeit brought their highly anticipated live show to an overly eager London crowd last week. With their most passionate fans who have long awaited their return to the city lined up along the barricade, Counterfeit performed a set that truly did not disappoint.
Filled with brand new unheard tracks from their forthcoming release, everyone at London’s The Garage got one of the first scoops into the sound and material the five-piece have been diligently working on.
Opening up the night with “Shut Up” which brought the classic Counterfeit energy we are used to, the energy in the room exploded with excitement the moment the song kicked in. Following up “Shut Up” was “The Hangover” and “Paralysed,” two brand new tracks that left frontman Jamie Campbell Bower pacing around the stage in a blur, the band clearly kicking the energy up a notch with this new set of tracks.
Mid-way through the set, the band disappeared from the stage, leaving Bower alone with his acoustic guitar. Talking about the tumultuous past year that left him going to rehab for substance and alcohol abuse, Bower confessed to the room of adoring fans that he is in a much better place now, a mindset and lifestyle that reflects the more positive and uplifting material found in Counterfeit’s new songs. Better yet for Bower, he admitted candidly that he spent the past year falling in love before kicking into an acoustic performance of “Pictures of You” which he dedicated to his girlfriend.
While it is unique and rather risky for a band to play an entire set of brand new songs fans are not familiar with, the decision ultimately created a special night for everyone in attendance, giving us all a peek into what we can expect to hear from Counterfeit in the next few months.
Closing out the night with “Enough,” their biggest track to date that caused everyone in the room to sing as loud as possible and exert every last bit of energy they could muster up, the new set of material presented to the London crowd was proof enough that Counterfeit’s new mindset and growth over the years has brought them songs that are both quality and more infectious than ever.
So with that, it can be said that Counterfeit is finally back and, well, possibly better than ever before.
