The Strokes - 24 January 2006 - Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

It wasn’t that long ago that artists were challenged by the difficult third album syndrome. Nowadays, of course, it’s the second album that tends to cause them most problems. So, pity The Strokes, then, who appear to have made it harder for themselves by being cursed with both. ‘Room On Fire’, released three years ago, had critics, eager for more of the same - following barnstorming debut ‘Is This It?’ - mercilessly slating them. This year’s ‘First Impressions of Earth’ was hailed by some as a return to form. Oh, how wrong they were, and tonight serves only as confirmation.

In a muddy, bass-heavy mix, in which the vocals are barely an oversight, the band greet a rapturous crowd prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt… so long as they play all of their debut album and little else. You’ll be lucky, you lookey-likeys in your drainpipes and school blazers.

It’s not until third song ‘Juicebox’ (a song destined to soundtrack car chases for years to come) that the band seem to hit their stride, all five of them finally giving it some. What many consider to be cool has until now looked more like laziness. With drummer Fabrizio Moretti able to smoke a cigarette while still pounding the skins, either he’s The Man, or he just can’t be chewed. ‘The End Has No End’, from ‘Room On Fire’, sums the Strokes up, however. A pedestrian stroll through the track, and we are witnessing a band that has lost its relevance. Their first album really mattered, but a stumbling block like their second makes the third even more important. Shouldn’t they at least be trying?

Of course, the evening does have its high points. ‘Last Night’ pulls the crowd back onside. And ‘Hard To Explain’ finally gets the band the reaction they deserve. First encore ‘New York City Cops’ almost ram-raids the walls down.

Guess which one of the three albums they’re all on…