White Lies - HMV Oxford Street, London, 17/12/2010
by Anthony Strutt
published: 21 / 1 / 2011

intro
Anthony Srutt watches bestselling alternative rock act White Lies play a short, but powerful set at showcase gig to launch their album at HMV's store in Oxford Street, London
Tonight's White Lies' set is short, only five songs long and lasting a mere twenty seven minutes, but these HMV gigs are just showcases showing us the band's new product before security push us into a line to go up to meet the current new hit makers of the day. 'Ritual' is the second album by White Lies and the band are proud to have us there to launch it. The eerie cover of 'Ritual' recalls 'The Stepford Wives' with its picture of two dead-eyed twins, whereas 'To Lose My Life' from 2009 looked like a Factory Records' release. 'Ritual' is a big improvement on 'To Lose My Life'. It has a bigger sound, is more commercial and reminiscent of New Order whereas the first was more of Joy Division. The band tonight are a five piece with an additional guitarist and keyboardist joining Harry McVeigh (lead vocals and guitar), Charles Cave (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Jack Lawrence-Brown (drums). The songs are, however, as deep as ever and just as dark. We get treated to four new songs and one old. 'Strangers', 'Holy Ghost'and 'Peace and Quiet' are the first three songs that they showcase before they play their only oldie, 'Death', which has the crowd almost moshing and screaming out in joy. They end an all too short set with current single, 'Bigger Than Us', which is as instant as the rest of the set. 'Ritual' is a great little album and one that will surely just grow on us even more.
Band Links:-
https://www.whitelies.com/https://www.facebook.com/WhiteLies/
https://twitter.com/whiteliesmusic
Picture Gallery:-


live reviews |
Academy, Manchester, 18/2/2011 |
![]() |
Aaron Brown watches White Lies play a crowd-pleasing set in front of an ecstatic audience to promote their just released second album, 'Ritual', at the Manchester Academy |
photography |
Photoscapes 1 (2022) |
![]() |
In the first of two galleries Darren Aston photographs post-punk trio White Lies at a gig at Liverpool Grand Central Hall. |
Photoscapes 2 (2022) |
digital downloads
reviews |
Ritual (2011) |
![]() |
Outstanding, more keyboard-dominated second album from much acclaimed London-based alternative rock group, White Lies |
To Lose My Life (2009) |
To Lose My Life (2009) |
White Lies (2005) |
most viewed articles
current edition
Sarah Cracknell - InterviewDouglas MacIntyre - Interview
Jann Klose - Sugar My
Jimmy Webb - (With support from Ashley Campbell and Thor Jenson), Cadogan Hall, London. 27/5/2022
Tom Newman - Interview
Jarvis Cocker - Good Pop Bad Pop - An Exhibition of Objects and Keepsakes of Jarvis Cocker
Loop - Interview
Rolling Stones - Anfield, Liverpool, 9/6/2022
Dwina Gibb - Interview
Simply Red - La Marina, Valencia, Spain, 7/6/2022
previous editions
Stewart Copeland - Police Deranged For Orchestra - Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, 11/9/2021Music Festivals - Profile 2022
World Party - Interview
Cliff Richard - Vs Elvis Presley
Sam Brown - Interview 2008
Gypsy Dave Mills - Interview
Cathal Coughlan - Interview
Ruskin Arms - The Image That Made Me Weep
Jimmy Nail - Interview
Dire Straits Legacy - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Def Leppard - Diamond Star HalosLucky Ones - Slow Dance, Square Dance, Barn Dance
Various - Heroes & Villains – The Sound Of Los Angeles 1965-1968,
Bonnie Raitt - Just Like That...
Dave Stewart - Ebony McQueen
Gabi Garbutt and the Illuminations - Cockerel
Girls At Our Best! - Pleasure
Soup Review - Go and See
Norah Jones - Come Away With Me: 20th Anniversary Edition
Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway - Crooked Tree
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart