The Strokes Make Storming Live Return In London

The Strokes performed together for the first time in almost four years at a secret show in London tonight (June 9).

Appearing under the band name Venison, the New York band played a greatest hits set to a crowd of less than 500 fans at Dingwalls.

Tickets for the gig, which sold out in seconds yesterday (June 8), were exchanging hands for up to £500 outside the venue before the gig.

But despite plans to release a new album in 2011, the band witheld from playing any new material during the show.

Amid heightened expectation, The Strokes took to the stage shortly after 9.30pm and kicked off their set with ‘New York City Cops’.

The track, from their 2001 debut album ‘Is This It’, prompted a huge crowd surge from the small crowd.

The band, who were clearly happy to be back together, exchanged smiles on stage before launching into ‘The Modern Age’.

Singer Julian Casablancas then greeted fans with a simple: “Hello.”

After performing ‘Hard To Explain’, he said: “What’s going on, it’s fucking chaos. What-up dudes. This is our first show in four years or something. Welcome.”

The Strokes maintained a relentless pace throughout the gig, only bringing the tempo down once to play ‘Red Light’, from their 2006 album ‘First Impressions Of Earth’.

The track was followed by a raucous rendition of fan favourite ‘Last Nite’.

As the band took a brief break, the sweaty crowd chanted “Venison, Venison”, prompting Casablancas to welcome them to their “first show” when they returned to the stage.

Before the final track ‘Take It Or Leave It’, the singer said: “Thank you so much guys. You guys are the fucking shit.”

The Strokes are set to the play the Isle of Wight festival and Rockness in Scotland this weekend.

The Strokes’ set list was:

1. New York City Cops
2. The Modern Age
3. Hard To Explain
4. Repitlla
5. Whatever Happened
6. You Only Live Once
7. Soma
8. Vision Of Division
9. I Can’t Win
10. Is this It
11. Someday
12. Red Light
13. Last Nite
14. Under Control
15. 12:51
16. Juicebox
17. Heart In A Cage
18. Take It Or Leave It

(by Jason Gregory)

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