In for free, they are doing it for the thrill

From La Roux 2009

On a warm summer eve, I made my way to Kentish Town for a free event to launch La Roux, the first album by the band of the same name, that I’d seen on one very tired night supporting Lily Allan, still very much jet lagged having just returned from Tokyo. It made a very refreshing change for the event to be free – I suspect the give away of tickets with pre-orders hadn’t filled the place, so free tickets where made more widely available. So hundreds of us queued outside the HMV Forum, on a wonderfully pleasant summer eve. Entertainment was the look on peoples faces as they turned the various turns of the queue to see it stretching further to the next corner. Many in front of me gave up – but it was remarkable how many people lined up three or four abreast can fit in a building… Once inside I got a great view at the very front of the circle, and was then occupied by a great short set. Some of the tracks have already become very familiar due to the almost constant use of them to trail Channel 5 CSI episodes – others fresh electro pop to raise spirits.