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Gig Review

It wasn't quite a Learjet, but you have to appreciate The Walkmen's effort - straight off a plane from JFK and straight onstage for a Q Live gig at London's Concrete on 22 June.

Kicking off their European summer with the intimate show, the acclaimed US indie band played a set that not only spanned their six album career, but even included two songs so new they haven't been given titles yet.

Starting the gig solo, frontman Hamilton Leithauser performed two songs on guitar, before his bandmates joined him onstage to unleash The Walkmen's full power, which with its mix of driving guitars, pounding drums, blasting vocals and Wurlitzer keyboards is more akin to a force of nature then a mere band.

With the likes of Blue As Your Blood and Juveniles from recent album Lisbon among the tracks thrilling the crowd, the absence of band's most famous song The Rat almost went unnoticed as The Walkmen demonstrated why many are tipping them to follow the lead of the likes of The National or Fleet Foxes and turn cult appeal into wider acclaim.

View the full The Walkmen Q Live at Concrete photo gallery

The Walkmen played:

New song (currently untitled)
138th Street
On The Water
Woe Is Me
In The New Year
New song (currently untitled)
Angela Surf City
Blue As Your Blood
Juveniles
Canadian Girl
We've Been Had
All Hands And The Cook

A full review of the show will appear in Q issue Q302, out late July 2011.