THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM

Guitarist Alex Rosamilia on the band's stunning rise to prominence...

Photo by Bryan Wynacht

As anyone who lives there will tell you, a winter's night in Glasgow is no time to be travelling anywhere on foot. Still, that hasn't stopped a loyal gathering of Gaslight Anthem fans congregating outside the city's Garage venue hours before doors, battling the plummeting temperatures to get a prized spot at the barrier for tonight's show [Reviewed HERE - Ed.].

Such is the kind of adoration that's become commonplace for the New Jersey four-piece of late. Latest album The '59 Sound seemed to take up permanent residence in critics' top ten lists this year [including for this very site - Ed.], and on their second trip to the UK, guitarist Alex Rosamilia still finds it all a little difficult to take in.

"Last time was unreal," he says, with a widening smile. "It was way bigger than I thought it would be. I thought we'd be playing to around 60 people a night, and it was way more than that. This time around it seems like it's going to be even bigger, so we're happy. It's one of the places I've always wanted to go, so the fact people like us here is great."

Of course, for The Gaslight Anthem, their debut appearance on these shores was more unusual than most. Rather than the typical festival appearance or headline show, their baptism of fire came in the form of an instore at London's legendary Rough Trade East outlet.

"It was a great day," says Rosamilia. "A lot of kids came out. It was a really cool record store too, I ended up spending way too much money in there! It was weird to do that first because you can't get a good eye on how the shows are going to be when your first performance is in such a small place."

It's comments like this that make the band such endearing company. Having spent the previous couple of months on the road with Alkaline Trio, Thrice and Rise Against, they become particularly wide-eyed when it comes to talking about their tourmates.

"We became good friends with all of them," enthuses Levine. "I've always wanted to play with those bands, so it was a dream come true. We're actually playing again with Alkaline Trio pretty soon." Unsurprisingly, Rosamilia shares his excitement. "I was particularly looking forward to seeing Thrice, and they really didn't disappoint me. To be able to pull off an elementally-themed record is pretty rad!"

Seemingly in awe of the good fortune that has come their way of late, the way they talk about these bands sounds more like fans addressing their heroes than a band discussing their contemporaries. When asked if they've picked up any good stories from the road, Levine instantly pipes up "We played with Thrice!" As charming a trait as this is, it initially makes it difficult to separate genuine passion from innocent optimism. Nonetheless, as he concedes that they're "not really that interesting", you can't help but beg to differ.

The Gaslight Anthem- Old White Lincoln

The initial buzz that surrounded their debut album, 2007's Sink or Swim, meant that when it came to working on the follow-up, they were presented with an entirely different creative environment, that threw up a lot of issues, positive and negative.

"We didn't have much time to write The '59 Sound, but we had a lot of time to record it, as opposed to Sink or Swim, where we had a lot of time to write, but not that much time to record," Levine begins. On the upside, making the move from one-take live recordings to multi-tracking proved an enjoyable experience for Rosamilia. "We got a lot of time to experiment in the studio," he smirks. "I got to mess around with a lot of different amps. I didn't have to leave recording to go to work this time either, which was nice!"

The record itself, of course, tells a story of its own. All reverb-drenched vocals and shimmering guitar work, it's as near a perfect collection of relatable punk anthems to emerge in years. Strewn with references to the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty, Rosamilia's enthusiasm comes leaping to the fore when probed about their influences.

"With Springsteen and Petty, the songwriting aspect of what they did was a huge influence on us, but that's pretty much where the similarity stops. As far as the Jersey stuff goes, outside of Springsteen, the Souls are probably the main ones. I'd like to say Bon Jovi!" he says with a wry smile.

All smiles and warm handshakes as they get up to leave, it's difficult not to be taken in by their warmth and overt friendliness. Obviously still coming to terms with their sudden change in lifestyle, it's difficult to grudge the Gaslight Anthem a second of their time in the spotlight. Their idea of the rock ‘n' roll life may differ from most of us, but one thing you can be sure of is that they won't take an ounce of it for granted.

by Mitch Bain

Further links

The Gaslight Anthem on MySpace

MySpace page for critically acclaimed rock outfit The Gaslight Anthem