Air Traffic @ Islington Assembly Hall, London - October 9, 2017

Air Traffic have been performing a handful of gigs to celebrate their only album, Fractured Life's 10th anniversary. This is an added-on date due to the first shows selling out quickly.

I discovered Air Traffic shortly after their 1st album was released in 2007 when I was loving all the British new wave of post punk revival bands and the like at this time. 2008 was a packed concert year for me and seeing Air Traffic open for Elbow in an Anglican Church in Vancouver was one of that year's sweeter musical moments. I vividly remember the opening duo of drums that begins No More Running Away acoustically filling the church. It was uplifting and almost spiritual. Just beautiful.

The other memory is the hard pew Steve and I had to endure, and how the mellowness of Elbow had set Steve nodding off before the end of their set. Still, it was a uniquely lovely show in a unique venue. Air Traffic remain one of only two bands I've gone to see specifically when they are still opening acts. Elbow was just bonus.

When I stumbled across this gig it was pure luck. We had been listening to some of their songs that are favourites and I happened to look them up to see if they had done anything lately. Such great timing. Steve was actually happy to go with me. I couldn't quite believe it but he was singing along towards the end. That was fun to experience.

I predicted that the audience would be mellow, but I've been surprised before. This time, however, I was spot on. The crowd was exactly what you'd expect: late 20s, 30-something mainly; many in couples, and not a mosher in sight. This fit perfectly with the singer's banter about getting older. He finished Take Your Hands Off Me by saying "God knows what we were so angry about." The crowd could clearly identify. They laughed when he introduced This Old Town as Bournemouth, and told us it's the town  they're from, were desperate to get out of, and all now live once again.

Chris Wall and the rest of the band were clearly enjoying themselves and he continued the audience interaction with charm. By the end of the set and in the encore we had three big singalongs to Your Fractured Life, No More Running Away and Shooting Star. In fact, when the set ended and the crowd kept up the "No More Running Aways", Wall did a cartoonish slow-motion running escape from the stage and the whole band was brought back as we all kept up the chant. I wondered if this had happened every night, but checked out some videos of other nights and suspect this may have been original. It would be a fitting piece of appreciation on Air Traffic's last night of this particular group of reunion shows.

The sound was great. Not too loud and no ringing ears today. They performed tightly and with energy and joy and it was an enjoyable concert. The penultimate song was introduced with the information it is a newly written track that has just been released as a single and humourously that "Album 2 is riding on it. No pressure." I like it and would be really pleased for more material and to see them get back to doing something they obviously love. Wall thanked a host of people, but particularly the band, singling out their drummer, David Ryan Jordan, as the real impetus behind the reunion. Cheers David!


Setlist:
Just Abuse Me
Never Even Told Me Her Name
Time Goes By
Can't Go Back
Come On
Empty Space
I Can't Understand
This Old Town
Charlotte
I Like That
Take Your Hands Off Me
Get In Line
An End To All Our Problems
Your Fractured Life
No More Running Away
Encore:
The Running Caught Me High
Almost Human
Shooting Star