Live: The New Pornographers @ The Empire.

by | Dec 6, 2014

Canadian band The New Pornographers play live in London at The Empire, Shepherds Bush. (Rachel Lipsitz/Rockshot)

Canadian band The New Pornographers play live in London at The Empire, Shepherds Bush. (Rachel Lipsitz)

A lot of bands could take a cue from The New Pornographers regarding style over substance. At their recent show at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, we see the Canadians showcase their talents with a minimum of fuss. Sprinkling old favourites The Laws Have Changed, Testament to Youth In Verse, Myriad Harbour amongst some of the new tracks off Brill Bruisers -– some of their best to date, New Pornographers are always capable crowd pleasers.

Canadian band The New Pornographers play live in London at The Empire, Shepherds Bush. (Rachel Lipsitz/Rockshot)

Canadian band The New Pornographers play live in London at The Empire, Shepherds Bush. (Rachel Lipsitz)

The jauntiness of these extremely dense tracks are always fun to hear live. Kathryn Calder‘s voice is strong enough in its own right, so much so it’s jarring to hear her parts sung by Neko Case on the album. Dan Bejar makes a rare live appearance with the band tonight (leaving the stage for every song he doesn’t sing or play on) and they make the most of it.

 (Rachel Lipsitz)

(Rachel Lipsitz)

Seeing New Pornographers live reminds us how much detail is in their unique brand of 60’s-esque pop and why they’re finally getting the audience they deserve at a larger venue like Shepherd’s Bush Empire.

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000JeDx2jnTlaM” g_name=”New-Pornographers” f_show_caption=”t” f_show_slidenum=”t” img_title=”casc” pho_credit=”iptc” f_link=”t” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”t” f_fullscreen=”t” f_show_watermark=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_mtrx=”t” fsvis=”f” width=”600″ height=”450″ f_constrain=”t” bgcolor=”#ffffff” bgtrans=”t” btype=”new” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” crop=”f” twoup=”t” trans=”flip” tbs=”4000″ f_ap=”t” linkdest=”c” f_topbar=”f” f_bbar=”f” f_bbarbig=”” f_smooth=”f” f_up=”f” target=”_self” ]

Live Review and Photos by Rachel Lipsitz. Rachel has her own website here:http://www.littletrousers.com/

Rachel has also taken some great band portraits that will appear in The New Pornographers interview that Craig Scott from Rockshot has just completed.

 

4 Non Blondes (Chuck Saftler)

4 Non Blondes Announce First UK Show In Over 30 Years As Linda Perry Unveils New Solo Era

Alt-rock icons 4 Non Blondes are set to make a long-awaited return to the UK this summer, confirming their first British performance in more than three decades with a special headline show at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on 24th June 2026.

Crystal Lake @ The Brook, Southampton (Rebecca Cairns)

Metalcore Powerhouses Crystal Lake And Miss May I Shake Southampton’s The Brook

It is impressive just how far tonight’s line-up of metalcore acts have come to unite to perform at Southampton’s The Brook, travelling from all over the planet to put on a spectacular double-header event, headlined by Crystal Lake and Miss May I. 

Issac Ryan Brown (Nedim Nazerali)

Issac Ryan Brown Steps Into The Spotlight With Infectious New Single ‘Lipstick’

Rising pop/R&B talent Issac Ryan Brown continues his ascent with the release of his latest single Lipstick, a slick, confident cut that positions the 20-year-old as one of 2026’s most exciting breakthrough artists.

Ella Langley (Press)

Ella Langley Rediscovers Herself On New Single ‘Loving Life Again’ Ahead Of ‘Dandelion’ Album Release

Multi-platinum country star Ella Langley continues to build momentum toward her highly anticipated sophomore album with the release of her latest single, Loving Life Again. The track offers a deeply personal snapshot of an artist recalibrating amidst the whirlwind of success, arriving ahead of her new record Dandelion, set for release on 10th April.

Alison Moyet @ Latitude Festival 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Alison Moyet Expands ‘Songs Of Yazoo, The Minutes & Other’ Tour With New UK Dates Due To Overwhelming Demand

Alison Moyet has added a further run of UK shows to her highly anticipated Songs Of Yazoo, The minutes & Other tour, responding to huge demand that has already seen the majority of dates sell out in record time.

The HU (Press)

The Hu Unleash Double Single ‘The Men’ & ‘Warrior Chant’ + Announce UK & European Tour

Mongolian rock phenomenon The Hu return with a powerful double release, unveiling two brand new tracks – The Men and Warrior Chant – alongside news of an extensive UK and European headline tour later this year.

Kind Villain (Press)

Kind Villain Shares Defiant New Single ‘I’m A Little Off’ And Introduces Himself To UK Audiences

Rising alt-rock newcomer Kind Villain is making a bold first impression with the release of his latest single I’m A Little Off, a deeply personal and defiant anthem that explores neurodiversity with honesty and bite.

Matt Bellamy of Muse @ The O2 (Kalpesh Patel)

Muse Launch ‘The Wow! Signal’ With Space-Bound Reveal And New Single ‘Be With You’

Muse have officially ushered in a new era, announcing their tenth studio album The Wow! Signal alongside the release of its towering new single Be With You.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing