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.

 

Sabrina Carpenter (Press)

Sabrina Carpenter Unveils Full Star-Packed Line-Up For Sold-Out BST Hyde Park 2025 Shows

American Express presents BST Hyde Park has announced the full supporting line-up for pop superstar Sabrina Carpenter’s sold-out headline debut on Saturday 5th July, as well as her follow-up performance on Sunday 6th July. The eagerly anticipated shows mark a major milestone in Carpenter’s meteoric rise, as she joins a coveted roster of BST Hyde Park headliners for 2025.

Taylor Swift @ Wembley Stadium (Kalpesh Patel)

Taylor Swift Triumphs: Pop Icon Buys Back Rights To Her Original Master Recordings

In a landmark move sending shockwaves through the music industry, Taylor Swift has officially bought back the rights to her original master recordings, marking a triumphant and deeply personal victory in her years-long battle for artistic ownership. The deal closes a turbulent chapter that has fuelled global conversations around creative control, artist rights, and the power dynamics of the modern music business.

Santana (Press)

Carlos Santana Teams Up With Grupo Frontera For Norteño-Rock Fusion ‘Me Retiro’ — Ahead Of UK Tour Dates

Rock legend Carlos Santana has surprised fans yet again—this time by merging his iconic guitar-driven rock sound with...
Blink-182 @ Reading Festival 2024 (Nick Allan)

Reading Festival 2025 Preview: Glitter, Guitars & Glorious Chaos Incoming

Hold on to your bucket hats – Reading Festival 2025 is about to blow the roof off Richfield Avenue from August...

Iggy Pop’s Raw Power Hits Ally Pally

There’s some shows you just can’t miss in good conscience. Iggy Pop, the godfather of punk, last hit the UK for Dog Day Afternoon with Blondie two years ago, and he’s back for a short run of dates. When other punks from the same era are slowing down, settling into nostalgic anniversary shows or stately home summer shows, Pop is sticking to what he knows best: his iconic back catalogue, spread out across a full band, tied together with hypnotic charisma.

Chesney Hawkes (Press)

Chesney Hawkes Announces 2026 ‘Smash It To Pieces’ UK Headline Tour Following A Triumphant Year

Chesney Hawkes, once dubbed the quintessential British pop prince of the early ‘90s, has proved he’s more than just The One And Only. With a creative fire that burns brighter than ever, Hawkes is celebrating a year of musical and personal triumphs as he announces his 2026 Smash It To Pieces UK headline tour — a bold new chapter in a career that continues to evolve far beyond its nostalgic beginnings.

James Morrison (Tom Oxley)

James Morrison Announces Long-Awaited New Album ‘Fight Another Day’, UK Headline Tour This September

BRIT Award-winning singer-songwriter James Morrison returns this autumn with his most personal, soul-stirring work to date. His sixth studio album, Fight Another Day, lands on 3rd October 2025, marking his first full-length release in six years — and with it comes a UK headline tour this September, including dates in Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester and London.

Calva Louise (Henry Calvert)

Calva Louise Walk The Edge Of The Abyss With Cinematic New Single ‘Impeccable’

If the edge of reality had a soundtrack, Calva Louise just wrote it. With new single Impeccable, the genre-fluid...

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing