Bar Italia took the Roundhouse stage with their trademark cool detachment, fully aware of their own momentum. The night landed in an interesting middle ground – atmospheric and striking at times but always hinting that something stronger was just out of reach.
Much of the set drifted through the band’s familiar moody grey space. Songs like ‘Polly Armour’ and ‘Nurse!’ emerged with a loose, restless energy – filling the room but never fully commanding it. The Roundhouse matched their hazy edges but also exposed the limits of their insularity. Sometimes their restraint intrigued; other times, it felt like a half-open door.
The evening found its sharpest footing when the band leaned into tracks with a clearer sense of shape. ‘Changer’ carried a subtle lift, its rhythmic pull giving the crowd their first real swell of movement. ‘My Little Tony’ arrived with a similar spark – understated, but with enough bite to make you lean in a little closer. Even ‘Jelsy’, usually one of their softer moments, brought a fragile tension that briefly tightened the room’s focus.
The real jolt came with the wonderfully bittertitled ‘Yes I Have Eaten So Many Lemons…’, which sliced through the set’s softness and rallied the mood again. It hinted at the dynamic level the whole night could have operated on. A final turn into ‘punkt’ closed things with a lowkey thrum rather than a full release.
A good show, certainly. A stylish one, too. But Bar Italia still feel as though they’re holding their best live chapter in reserve – and the Roundhouse only made that clearer.
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Words: Ross Mondon