[Alexandros]

Pop-rockers Open Up Sunday's Green Stage

[Alexandros] opened up the Green Stage in boiling sunshine this morning, opening up with the catchy chord progressions and sing-a-long “la la las” of “Burger Queen”, which showed off not only the band’s pop sensibilities but also nodded in the direction of the heavier side of their style. From the opening of the set, it was easy to see why [Alexandros] have caught the attention of the younger music listener – they’re stylish, well-versed in pop riffs, and on the right side of rebellious to not be off-putting to a younger crowd. Also, they name their albums things like “Where’s My Potato?” which is quirky enough to be memorable, much like the band’s performance.

Their punk side came though on numbers such as “Boo!” and “Waitress, Waitress!”, the crowd down the front leaping up and down and punching the air along the tribal drum beat from Satoyasu on drums. Frontman Youhei and guitarist Masaki brought in uplifting guitar lines for “Run Away”, while the tone of other pieces sometimes suggested a Middle-Eastern influence on their guitar work. “Kick&Spin” however pulled out of the pop-rock reverie as the band broke into a a metal inspired breakdown during both this and the following song. Again, it was a nod to a much heavier side to the band, but one which they use sparingly, preferring to keep the atmosphere light and summery for their set.

[Alexandros] are a band with a brand of music which puts them firmly in the mainstream, but which also makes them a little different from a lot of bands out there. Expect to see them playing further up the bill in the future.