Review: Bombay Bicycle Club, The Engine Shed, Lincoln

CULT might be too strong a term, but Bombay Bicycle Club’s following in as interesting one.

They’ve achieved modest chart success and not bothered the mainstream a great deal, but over the course of four years and three albums, their fanbase has grown strong and dedicated.

So much so, that they’ve broken records for it.

At Leeds Festival, they record the pressure put on the crowd barrier by the audience. Bombay Bicycle Club proudly hold the record for the strongest crowd push for their now legendary appearance in the Radio One tent.

The same sense of anticipation follows them to Engine Shed tonight.

The main hall is rammed with folk of every age, creed and walk of life, which only acts as a testament to BBC’s remarkable achievements.

Barely in their 20’s, their sound is an ever-shifting one. From the garage-indie stomp of Open House and the jittery danceability of Shuffle to the tender folk-balladry of Still, tonight Bombay Bicycle Club showcase a consistent endeavour of imaginative and ambitious song-craftsmanship.

It’s just unfortunate that the venue doesn’t do them any justice. Much of Bombay Bicycle Club’s charm lies in the little nuances and subtle but eccentric flourishes to their sound. Sadly, these are sometimes lost, as the sound at the Engine Shed is somewhere between a layer of tin foil being struck with a haddock and a damp, bass-y fart being muffled by a pillow.

Regardless of this, Bombay Bicycle Club are on top form. Their energy is infectious as they bounce their way through a 90-minute set of flawless, kinetically-charged power pop.

Never was this more apparent than during the gloriously-received Always Like This sending the crowd into a frenzy.

If they can pull off a show like that after just four short years, imagine what they can do in 10, 15, 20.

They may be wise and talented beyond their years, but in no time at all, mass-success will catch up with them. Mark these words: this cult will explode.

By Andrew Trendell