Gig Review: Keo At Electric Ballroom
The alt-rock band proves, once again, why everyone should keep their eyes on them.
“Our first ever gig, about four years ago, was at The Camden Eye, just fifteen seconds down the road,” Finn Keogh, frontman of alternative rock band Keo, tells the audience at their first of two back-to-back sold out shows at the Electric Ballroom. “It was for about ten people, so this is fucking amazing.” With the way they command a crowd as passionate as this one, it’s not difficult to understand how Keo grew so much as quickly as they did.
The evening began with the Irish four-piece Bleech 9:3 as the opening act, but with the crowd’s enthusiastic response to their music you’d almost think this was a double headliner gig. Two songs into their set, scarlet-haired lead singer Barry Quinlan was already keen on jumping down into a promptly open moshpit, and from the back of the crowd, legs and arms from the occasional crowdsurfer could be spotted in the air all throughout the rest of their time on stage. Needless to say, Bleech 9:3 definitely brought in the right energy.
By the time Keo hit the stage, their crowd was buzzing with anticipation. The name Keo is not necessarily easy to chant, but their fans sure made a valiant effort to find a rhythm, calling for the band over and over until they kicked off their set. The alt-rockers chose “Hands” as their opener, one out of the band’s only five released songs. Vocalist Finn Keogh, sporting a pair of sunglasses, sings with a purpose and intensity shared across the band; his brother Conor Keogh on the bass, Oli Spackman on the drums and Jimmy Lanwern on the guitar. From the first chord they hit, the energy in the room was so charged you could feel it prickle your skin.
This was my second time at a Keo concert after attending their Village Underground gig last September, and for the second time I found myself stunned. Keo have a talent for making a crowd of 1,500 people feel like a packed festival. Their fans are passionate and clearly do their homework, singing along to every single track on their setlist – released, or not.
Full of 90s grunge influences, the band’s music is made of the perfect blend of anger and passion to draw the crowd in. Though their transition from acoustic guitar led melodic tracks such as “Stolen Cars” and “Spent on You” to high energy bangers like “Fly” and “Black Dress” can feel a bit jarring at times, it is impressive how seamlessly they manage to do it for the most part. It’s impossible to look away.
Their final song was the crowd favourite, and Keo’s biggest hit, “I Lied, Amber”, closing the gig with what was likely their rawest and most visceral performance. For one last time that evening, I’m blown away by Keo’s connection with their audience — people howl the lyrics at the band from the top of their friend’s shoulders with the same intensity that the alt-rockers throw the song at them — and I can’t wait to see how far it takes them.