Michael Hann

An awfully long night for a band without any bangers: The National, at Alexandra Palace, reviewed

Plus: the human side of John Lydon at O2 Forum Kentish Town

Matt Berninger of The National veered close to self-parody at Alexandra Palace. Photo: Matthew Baker / Getty Images
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  • The National

    Alexandra Palace

  • Public Image Ltd

    O2 Forum Kentish Town

Over the past few years, the National have become the most important band in modern rock music. The strange thing is that this has happened at a point when their own work has perhaps lost a little of its earlier intensity. They’ve become important because they have come to represent something to other artists: a kind of adventurous but accessible integrity.

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