REVIEW: We Are Scientists at The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea

Against a goofy backdrop of giant smoking cats, vocalist and guitarist Keith Murray enters the stage to Lionel Richie's Hello, arms in the air. He makes a peace sign with one hand, and holds a beer bottle aloft with the other. It is only appropriate for New York's energetic indie rock duo We Are Scientists, who are about to reminisce very loudly on '˜drinking myself into excess' during opener The Scene is Dead.

We Are Scientists at The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea on October 9, 2016. Picture by Paul Windsor

The atmosphere stayed electric during favourites such as the rapidly belted It’s a Hit. Keith in particular is buzzing, blitzing between two microphones, during 2005 debut single Nobody Move, Nobody Gets Hurt.

Still, he was easy to follow after he dived into and ran through the crowd, as he tangled the crowd in his microphone lead. It is worth mentioning too how well he can sing while being shaken and thrown around by an audience.

However, the attitude becomes far more awkward when the duo are deadly still between songs, telling in-jokes, and bickering over whether the sea or space would be the best place to hide a body.

Bassist Chris Cain laments sarcastically about how ‘we were only here for a seaside vacation,’ rather than to perform. They might joke, but they are definitely close to having been in their own bubble for a bit too long.