Among the most burdensome jobs in show business, aside from co-hosting a reality show with Paris Hilton, is opening for the “biggest band in the world� in one of the country’s most famous arenas. The three scruffy lads from East Sussex, England that comprise Keane were initially inspired to form their rock group in the late 1990s because of their mutual admiration for the evening’s headliners, U2. At MSG, the band kicked off their exacting 45 minute set with the venue virtually empty, as Manhattan audiences are notorious for timing their entry just before the stars appear. The small-yet-mighty Brit-pop trio played heartily to the fans in the “pit,� the small circular area in front of the stage where VIPS and the most radical devotees primed themselves to enjoy the rare opportunity to gaze up into Bono’s nostrils or grope at the Edge’s snazzy Puma footwear.
Tom Chaplin, Keane’s beefy yet charming choir-boy singer gave props to his heroes/tourmates numerous times during the performance, which leaned heavily on material from the band’s 2004 breakthrough album Hopes And Fears. Keane has been rightfully compared to the flurry of Bends-era Radiohead clones such as Travis and Coldplay, but the band displayed an obvious flair for the dramatic as abrupt tempo changes and sweeping dynamics in volume enhanced each world-weary, heartfelt lyrical passage. Unlike their peers (or mentors), the notable absence of a bass and/or guitar player in the band affords a far more delicate sound to the live production, as the harmonic responsibility is placed solely on the nimble fingers of keyboardist Tim Rice-Oxley.
With his arms flailing, feet stomping, and head bobbing to every beat, Rice-Oxley was a show unto himself, utilizing the entire keyboard to fill the landscape and further embellish Chaplin’s melancholy melodies. The hits “Somewhere Only We Know� and “This Is The Last Time� were as close to their recorded versions as a live performance could allow. Drummer Richard Hughes abetted his usually strong back-beat with shimmering ride-cymbal patterns and jazzy fills whenever Chaplin stopped to take a breath or to underpin one of Rice-Oxley’s many improvised excursions. Asking kind permission to try out a few new tunes slated for the band’s highly anticipated follow-up to Hopes and Fears, Keane debuted “Nothing In Your Way,� a composition which gave Chaplin ample room to exercise his sleepy falsetto atop Rice-Oxley’s fearless piano chugging.
As U2 fans began to fill seats towards the end of Keane’s allotted time, the musicians maintained a cool veneer, as if to infer that they’ll be the main attraction in years to come. This attitude was evocative of the one that Bono and company displayed back in the day when they first traveled in a van across the Brooklyn Bridge to ply their budding craft at CBGBs.
