The One Hundred at The Dome, London - live review

A moderately busy Dome greets The One Hundred as they walk out onstage, flanked by glowing symbols. If there is one criticism of the band’s performance tonight, it’s that they don’t seem to be overly up for it at first. The first song and a half feel a shade forced, but the band’s energy, and specifically the charisma of frontman Jacob Field, really help to kick everything into gear. The Londoners soon take to it like seasoned pros, and waste very little time in getting the circulatory systems in the room pumping. Apart from getting everybody to crouch down (note to frontmen everywhere: if you’re not Corey Taylor, please stop doing this), Jacob is an ideal frontman, and the rest of the band are no slouches either. Collectively, they’ve come a long way in the three years since they were handing out demos after playing only their second ever show at Camden Rocks festival. Their songs sound much meatier live, and the electronic elements are more sophisticated than many of their contemporaries’. While these parts are played on a backing track, it doesn’t ever feel like the band are leaning too heavily upon it, and the guitar and bass are both reassuringly loud. With Enter Shikari’s new album being more mainstream in sound, the future is very bright for The One Hundred, who could find themselves as the new electro-metal hybrid heroes for a new generation of fans, and judging by the crowd reaction tonight, that’s not too far-fetched an idea.