http://www.clickmusic.com/articles/8608/The-Feeling-The-Hospital-London.html
Q magazine's series of gigs at The Hospital studios has seen the likes of Elbow and Seth Lakeman play intimate sets to a handful of competition winners and media types. Tonight, everyone's favourite guilty pleasure The Feeling are roped in for a semi-acoustic set on the tiny stage. They kick off with 'I Thought It Was Over', which loses some of its impact minus the full electric treatment. However, from an okay start, the night drastically improves. Frontman Dan comments on being asked to play: "I thought we would relax and take it easy – that was harder work than usual!" It's hard work, because The Feeling are playing this corporate do with the passion they would probably reserve for an arena show. Never mind that only the first few rows of people are their actual fans, the band are having a huge amount of fun with this different gig - relaxed and jokey without ever seeming complacent. Dan seems desperate to do some axe-wielding with his acoustic guitar, but only gets to show off when he starts an impromptu hoe-down version of 'Fill My Little World' (something they evidently seem to be fond of, as we would find out).
The tracks from latest album 'Join With Us' are performed tonight with much more passion than their debut counterparts. For example, new single 'Turn It Up' is played with such gusto it gets a genuinely excited, appreciative response that seems to take the band aback. After teasing with a few bars of A-ha's 'Take On Me' (Dan confesses it would sound crap), the cover they go for is the "underrated" Joe Jackson's 'Different For Girls'. It feels completely natural, and suits them perfectly. 'Join With Us', the best song on the new album, you would forget was being performed acoustically, and retains all its energy thanks to the chemistry of the band.
'Love It When You Call' is a happy, cheesy ending to the brief, nine-song set. The Feeling appear to have had as much fun as the crowd, but they've got one more trick up their sleeve. Coming on for an encore, Dan admits they're about to do something they've never done before, and introduces keyboard player Ciaran to the front of the stage. Now, if I said that The Feeling then launched into a country, hillbilly cover of the Aerosmith/Run DMC classic 'Walk This Way', with Ciaran on rapping, singing (and yodelling) duties, and that not only was it hysterically funny, but also ingenious and genuinely brilliant, would you believe me? It is in fact true, and such boldness probably only came about thanks to the size of the audience, making this one-off show a real treat.