Shooting Our Mouths Off

For their Los Angeles show, the band took the stage at The Bellwether. Spanning an entire city block, the 1,500-capacity venue is relatively new, having opened its doors in 2023, and quickly established itself as a standout spot for live music in the city.

The VIP soundcheck was a busy one, with fans treated to three songs: ‘Oh My Heart’, ‘The Lake’, and ‘Interrogation’. The Q&A added a distinctive touch, with questions that shaped the set in unexpected ways. ‘Interrogation’, for example, was performed after a fan asked why the band doesn’t play more material from La Petite Mort. Another fan raised the topic of the band’s vast back catalogue, wondering why certain tracks are never played live. Two songs were singled out – ‘Walking the Ghost’ and ‘Crescendo’ and the band responded in a way that showed both humor and affection for their own history. Jim leaned into the bass and delivered his bass-line from ‘Walking the Ghost’ and not to be outdone, Andy lifted his trumpet and unmistakable opening to ‘Crescendo’.

The band kicked off with ‘Dream Thrum’, followed by ‘Five-O’. The first high-energy highlight of the opening set was ‘Say Something’, which accompanied Tim’s first venture out onto the barrier. ‘She’s a Star’ came next, with Tim admitting that singing off the stage is no easy feat. Despite the challenge, his performance was impeccable, and he later returned to the stage to hit the long, soaring high note solo.

Two Yummy tracks appeared in the first set – ‘Way Over Your Head’ and ‘Shadow of a Giant’ – flowing seamlessly side by side. They were followed by ‘Tomorrow’, which brought a surge of energy after the previous gentler numbers. Flying as it has throughout the year, the song’s guitar and bass duel between Saul and Jim felt more electric than ever, while Andy’s trumpet line wove an uplifting melody in the background.

‘Skindiving’ stood strong as the second set opener, with Chloe receiving a rapturous reaction from the crowd that resulted in a huge smile plastered across her face as she delivered the vocals solo and flawlessly. ‘Zero’ followed, but was sadly aborted due to a timing issue. On a positive note though, it was replaced with ‘Moving On’, with the La Petite Mort track making its tour debut.

While the set contained few surprises – likely a result of the band still adjusting to their new onstage format – the return of ‘Waltzing Along’ was a crowd favourite, having only been performed a handful of times this tour. Seeking an even closer connection than the barrier allowed, Tim took a walk through the crowd. The standout moment of the set, however, was undoubtedly Adrian’s guitar work on ‘Knuckle Too Far’, creating a striking contrast to Dave’s gentle beat and Tim’s soft vocals.

The main set closed on a joyous high with ‘Laid’, as the crowd confidently sang the first verse on their own before Tim cued the band to kick back in. After a brief pause, the band returned to the stage with ‘Sit Down’, reigniting the energy.