Duos have a bond that isn’t found in bands that have say, 5 members. But when that duo is made up of two brothers, you know the bond will be deeper and may cause the sound to be a bit more intense. And also, their sound will probably be a bit more feral and fearless.
There’s a duo called Cassels who make fearless and brutal music. They are brothers Jim and Loz, and they are based in West London. See, East London isn’t necessarily where it is at. You’re just told to think it is. West London has a lot to offer. Give it a chance, give it a visit (just don’t go to that bloody shopping centre on a Saturday afternoon!)
Cassels (named after the psychiatric institution) music is bold and fuzzy. No bullshit guitar music that sticks one up to those who think guitar music is dead. But before I get into their music, I want to mention how inspiring these young guys are. Jim is 20 and Loz is 16. Jim ignored advice of his elders and moved to London after his A-Levels to do what he needed to do for Cassels. I’m all for people leaving their lives behind so they can achieve their dreams. I read this about them before I listened to their music, and I instantly became a fan. I hit play and this brilliant noise erupted. A glorious sound that is believable. Jim has a minimum wage job to fund the band. Let that sink in. Most bands like this HAVE to do this. They will one day be heard by all, I’m doing my bit because I believe in this band and I think they’re bloody excellent.
Their songs go deeper than a young mind should go, but when you hear their lyrics and start to see the world in their way again, this is what makes them believable and so so easy to be a fan. They’ve got the bite of Garage Rock which makes you want to play this so loud and they are unlike any band I’m currently listening to. They aren’t just a band that are “noisy” they are a two-piece riot who will soon be holding all your attention. What I love about the duos that I fawn over is that none of them sound alike. They are all different, and all justify why duos are the best. Something I really love about Cassels is how you can tell how much music means to them in just their two songs they have up. They left a quite place in Oxfordshire to make unapologetic noise in London. I can truly relate to being from somewhere quite and boring, and wanting more. You have to leave what you know behind and launch yourself into the unknown. Follow your heart, always.
At the moment there are only two songs up on their soundcloud page which you can listen to here: https://soundcloud.com/cassels-official and you can also grab a free download of Our Faces On A Screen from the page. Do it, play it loud and get others turned on to this band.
Cassels have already supported exciting bands such as Best Friends and The Savage Nomads, and their fan-base in the capital is steadily growing. This year is going to be delightfully noisy thanks to these guys.
Their next gig is on 9th April at 93 Feet East. Go see them and let your face be melted.
When I wrote about this delightful London band last summer, I said that The Savage Nomads were one of the best bands around as they don’t sound like anyone else. I said they were for those who appreciated the style of that fine band, Television with their complex yet fun sound. A band to truly get lost in and to fully appreciate their relaxed style.
Their new single, Porno is an infectious number which sees their sneaky front-man Cole swipe an orange from a market stall. With his loveable face, you’d let him steal it. The band sound really strong on this song, and the video shows the band flailing freely to their Funk filled sounds.
The single is having a fun-filled release party on 19th March at The Garage (upstairs) in London. You can get yourself extremely cheap tickets right here: http://billetto.co.uk/the-savage-nomads
Remember the excitement The Strokes caused when they first stared? The Savage Nomads have that about them, and their new song Porno shows why they deserve to be your new favourite band.
What do you do if you have a neighbour who plays truly awful music at a disgusting level? You simply put your headphones in and play something that stops you from being mad at the inconsiderate idiot. As I proceed to deafen myself by listening to a new band called HUNCK, it doesn’t seem so bad. Mainly because they have this hint of The Jesus And Mary Chain about them which is clearly an excellent thing.
HUNCK are consisted of Thomas Wykes (who plays live for Parakeet) and Frederik Tyson-Brown who plays in MT. Put them together and you have this Mazzy Star/Slowdive-esque band who have immediately excelled themselves with their new song, Toy Trucks. Toy Trucks is a 3 and a half-minute wonder that sends you off into some hazy daydream. With the days starting to get a little longer, songs like this are truly welcome. As the sun goes down, this is the perfect song to listen to. And of course it is lovely to listen to as a way to drown out the sounds of others. Most music is good for that.
In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning is a little more relaxed (it is possible) than Toy Trucks. I could quite happily listen to these two songs on repeat; HUNCK are a brilliant new band who offer something soothing for the soul and ears. It is like they are singing a lullaby sweetly in your ears as you drift off into a beautiful sleep.
When I was home for Christmas my uncle and I spoke about Fat White Family. We sensibly agreed that they are one of the best bands around and also one of the most exciting bands around. Their debut record, Champagne Holocaust came out last April. I was an idiot and didn’t mention it as one of my favourite records from last year. I’m making up for it now.
Champagne Holocaust is a brilliant chaotic record. Everything is disorganised and wonky. It makes sense in some ways, but in others it just messes with your brain. This is why I love them. There are 6 of them making a lot of noise; demanding to be heard.
Fat Whites have this psychedelic feel to their music that makes you feel like you’ve taken something stronger than paracetamol. Their sound will weird you out, but at the same time you’ll be totally grateful that you are exposing yourself to their sound. If anything, they’ve perfected the sound that the genius that was (and always will be) Captain Beefheart. The whole weirdness that is found in Captain Beefheart’s music (mainly Trout Mask Replica because that is just off the wall) is found right in Fat Whites. It’s like Don Van Vliet has been reincarnated in Fat Whites music. Their sound is like a drunken riot. Completely out of control but so so good.
I think you know when you’ve found a strong band when they make you wish you had some musical talent, Fat Whites are one of those bands. They are evidently one of the most exciting London bands around. When you listen to them, nothing really makes sense. I’m aware not much ever really does, but Fat Whites really do get inside your mind and fuck with it as you listen to them. Their new song, Touch The Leather (apparently an ode to Daim bars..apparently. It could be drugs though.) is out of this world. Can they just be the biggest band in the world already? Besides, they have a song called Wet Hot Beef- how can you not love them?!
I’m not a person who is too keen on music festivals, they aren’t something I have any interest in. Yet when I listen to Fat Whites, I can just imagine them in a few years headlining certain festivals. If modern music is going to head in this direction, then you know what? ABOUT BLOODY TIME. This is the good stuff right it. Fat Whites are a band for those who don’t get current trends or don’t want anything to do with them. No good comes from following others does it. You forget who you are and what you stand for.
It is fairly obvious that Fat White Family are going to get bigger and bigger. They have a sound that you just cannot ignore. They’re everything you want your favourite band to sound like. They sound like the past, they sound like they’ve had too much fine whisky; they are the truth and the future. They are quite simply everything.
A band that were once a sacred kind of listen are now erupting into something remarkable.
I’ve said it so many times now, but Manchester is truly the home of great music. It is obvious who the great bands are, and PINS will probably be named amongst them in a few more years.
I will mention their support act in a separate post because they are incredible and I’ll just ramble otherwise.
This was the third time I had seen PINS, but the first time seeing them headline their own show. They are a band I could quite happily watch live over and over again, and find different parts of their music to adore. PINS remind me of all the bands I love, but I don’t mean it in a rip-off kind of way. Far from it. They also remind me why I love music so much.
Aside from the gig being free (which was bloody good as I had lost £10 on the way..and as someone who has £5 in their bank account, this was pretty shit) PINS got their visas to go to America. I sincerely hope America falls in love with them because they are a band that just need to be heard by everyone. I think it is obvious that PINS are going to have no problem with being loved in America.
For me, it is always going to be LuvU4Lyf that causes me to move the most. I guess it is because it was the first song I heard by them a few years ago now, you always cling to the first song you hear by a band you love don’t you? It doesn’t matter if they’ve put out a record full of brilliant songs, you always go back to the one you first heard. I love seeing Girls Like Us live because Faith and Sophie beat the shit out of the cymbal in the intro (cymbal bashing is always welcome, just watch Oliver from The XX do it during Infinity.) Mad For You is brilliant live, and the way they all sing together in unison just really shows how tight the band is.
The night before I saw Brody Dalle live, and I’m pretty sure she burst my eardrums, and PINS pretty much did the same (as did their support band, Bad Grammar.) PINS are easily the most exciting bands around because they have this indescribable sound that makes them stand out from everything else that is going on. If you’re fed up of what you’re supposed to be listening to, go listen to PINS. Go see them live and kick out your frustrations because they are truly something else.
On record they are perfect, you cannot fault them and to look for fault would make you an ass. However, when you see them live it is something else. They sound tighter live and the way they sound live is even more perfect, they are simply a band that deserve every ounce of success they get. I’ve seen them support two bands I love; Warpaint and Dum Dum Girls, and to finally see them headline their own show was a memorable experience, especially in a venue so small. They are the kind of band you need to see in a small and sweaty room. They are the best kinds of shows, and only the best kinds of bands play these kinds of venues.
I’m not really sure what the crowd was like, I was just happy to see PINS but I saw some creepy guy taking photo of Faith’s legs throughout the show which was pretty stupid. Then again, some people are just idiots aren’t they.
PINS have this way that, after seeing them live making you wish you had some musical talent so you could start a band. They are the kind of band you wish you could join. They just have this way of playing together that really makes you believe in their music, and I think when you see a band live and you can tell they love playing together, it pretty much makes you love the band even more. If they stood on stage looking as if they didn’t care, you wouldn’t be moved by it. PINS are just an absolute pleasure to watch live because they each lure you into this weird world they have made with their eerie sound. Sophie makes you wish you could play the drums. Anna is a hypnotic bass player. I’ve never seen anyone enjoy themselves on stage as much as Lois does. Faith’s voice is enviable, I wish I could sing like that! You can tell that they have the best time playing live, and that is what makes you want to keep seeing them play.
The sinister undertones in their music really comes alive when you see PINS live, and it is just a beautiful thing to witness. I’m pretty sure this is how people felt when Siouxsie And The Banshees first came out. Oh and also, I know it has nothing to do with the music, but Anna’s hair looked amazing last night. I had hair envy.
If you get the chance to see PINS live, GO. Don’t think twice about it, just GO. To anyone who thinks music is boring or lacks that “something” then go listen to PINS. Oh and if you are a fan, the band have got a treat for you on Record Store Day (this day is better than Christmas.)
I read somewhere (probably an unreliable source, as ever) that London crowds are pretty shitty. I won’t say this statement is entirely true, but to a fair extent it is bullshit. Last week when I saw Warpaint, I was in awe of how the crowd were. Maybe it is the band and not the place. Anyway, the moral of the tale is- don’t believe anything you read in the papers.
If there was a Holy Trinity of female musicians (I’m not including Patti Smith because we all know she’s the greatest) it would consist of Courtney Love, Shirley Manson and Brody Dalle. Those 3 are responsible for the songs that got me through my teenage years and part of adulthood that I still can’t get my head around. They made it alright to be pissed off at what was around you; and when you’re 14/15, you’re pissed off at a lot of stuff.
I was never lucky enough to see Brody when she was in The Distillers, but I saw her when she had Spinnerette and I used the photos I took as part of a Photojournalism module I did at university. Pretty sure her “Fuck Off” tattoo helped me get a good mark. Hoxton Bar & Kitchen is one of my favourite places to see bands, more than likely for sentimental reasons (you probably know by now.) I’m still slightly deaf from last night, and I think that’s a sign that I had a good time.
Brody’s setlist consisted of a beautiful mix of solo, Spinnerette and The Distillers songs; as I’d never seen The Distillers, this was as close as I was ever going to get. Roaring through the likes of Dismantle Me, Ghetto Love and Sick Of It All; you feel the same rage you did when you first heard them. There aren’t many musicians around that are as powerful as Brody. She doesn’t need to mouth off to be heard, she doesn’t need to engage in awkward conversations on stage for you to feel some form of connection to what is going on. She’s just naturally got this presence that makes you drawn to her. Her effortless ways on stage justifies fully why you’re a fan, and why this show at Hoxton last night was is probably going to be one of the most important moments in music this year.
The new songs are brilliant. Meet The Foetus is amazing live. Of course if Shirley Manson and Emily Kokal turned up on stage with Brody that would have been magical. A few hours before the video premiered online and to see Shirley and Brody doing a music video together is what dreams are made of. It’s massively twisted and strange, but that’s the best way and sometimes only way to do it.
Brody’s cover of The Misfits Hybrid Moments is pretty special, as is her request for yellow socks. I have no idea. Maybe it was to go with her fluorescent orange t-shirt. It’s Brody Dalle; you don’t question why she wants yellow socks. Back to the new songs; if anything her solo songs pretty much shut up anyone who thinks “guitar music” is dead. You can find out for yourself when her record comes out at the end of April. Or you could go see her live and experience a bunch of people go ape shit to bloody good music. I advise both.
For me, Brody symbolises the same things as Courtney Love and Shirley Manson do. I wish I could explain it eloquently or even in a coherent way, but what I’m trying to get at is that, they are powerful. Powerful in ways that most dream of. I don’t want to make a big deal out her being a female musician because your gender doesn’t define what you do and who you are. It’s just a thing really. A lot of female musicians do however, struggle in the music industry due to archaic mindsets of sexist idiots. With the likes of Brody Dalle making this kind of music, it pretty much shuts up any critic really. She’s still the woman those who grew up listening to wish they were as tough as, but deep down we probably already are.
“I’ve got a friend with a melody that will kill. She will eat you alive.”
Everything I’ll ever write about Warpaint will just be a poor attempt at saying something I haven’t said before. Even that sentence is weak. To me, I think they are everything a band should be. On record they send you to a different world. When you see them live it is like you’re in a dream- the reality after all of this is of course, pretty shit. But Warpaint have this beautiful way of making you feel something truly precious as you watch them sing the songs that make you shut your eyes, sway and dream. See on record I suppose it is quite easy to do but to able to do it live, must take some work right? Not if you’re Warpaint. They make it look so easy, and if you’re like me and musically untalented- you will leave a Warpaint show wishing you could play something.
Before I get into the magical world that Warpaint led the crowd into last night, I must mention that their support act All We Are are bloody brilliant. As I was listening to them I immediately thought of Baltimore’s finest, Beach House. Last time I saw Warpaint the brilliant PINS supported them. Their ferocious and sinister music was the opposite of what Warpaint offer, but I loved it. Then again, I just really love PINS and would happily watch them live over and over again. All We Are have this gorgeous ethereal sound, and I truly hope that the crowd left as fans if they weren’t already. They too, like Warpaint make you shut your eyes and sway to their delicate sounds.
Warpaint’s setlist is a wonderful mix of new and old tracks. Their new record is stunning live. Disco/Very live is one of the best things I have ever seen. Warpaint aren’t really a band you can dance to; they are a band to dream to but Disco/Very is a song that just makes you jolt your body about in whatever way you want. I just LOVE the lyric, “Only in the sound of the voices I scream.” If anything, Warpaint stand for freedom. They make you feel entirely free as you watch them. I don’t think I’ve ever watched a band and had a constant smile on my face, until last night. There is something special about Koko that just made it perfect for Warpaint to play here. I saw them play Brixton Academy and I honestly think their show at Koko had a lot more soul to it. I don’t know what it was to do with, all I know is that it was a pleasure to watch and be part of.
For some reason I decided to have a little cry when they played Undertow. I wasn’t expecting it, but it just happened. There is a lot of sentimental value to that song for me, but I have no idea why I had to bloody cry! They played Billie Holiday which was like being guided through a dream and into the unknown. I just want to go back to Disco/Very because I REALLY love Jenny’s voice on this. All of their voices together sound like haunting chants; as of they are calling you towards something quite eerie but you go alone with it because it feels right. Drive is powerful to witness live; the lyrics are beautiful to this one and I think it is the way that Emily sings this song that makes it feel quite sacred. Apparently Baby was down as part of the encore, but it didn’t happen. I wish it did but they closed the set with Elephants which is pretty much one of the best moments of musical history….EVER. The song on record is a forceful thing, but to see it live is something else.
Watching Warpaint live is like watching a band play in their rehearsal space. It feels very personal but not intrusive. Once you see them live, you simply don’t stop. I feel as if I am missing something with knowing I won’t see them again until they come back down here. Warpaint live is a salvation for the soul. It is escapism and discovery. They are everything a band should be. They way they perform together is such a joy to watch, you sort of can’t imagine music without them. What did we do before them? The band formed on Valentine’s Day 10 years ago and are evidently one of the strongest bands around. My record collection would have been lonely without Warpaint.
I found myself listening intensely to them last night with my eyes shut, but when I looked around I saw a lot of people were having the same reaction as myself. There was one guy in the crowd who had enviable dance moves. If anyone knows him, he was the guy with a white t-shirt near the middle with a beard and tied up hair- if he’s your pal, I do hope you go out dancing with him and you learn from him because he’s amazing!
Warpaint fans know just how special this band truly are. Their music is treasured and adored for all the right reasons. It is pure and uplifting. It is everything music should be. The way Jenny and Stella laugh with each other on stage, the way Theresa carries herself on stage and the way Emily seems to lose herself the most in the music is what makes them a sacred. Of course they all lose themselves in the music, and that’s how it should be. They just make you want to go home and learn to play an instrument. There is no doubt that they are the best at what they do. And I’m always left in awe of the way Stella plays the drums and sings at the same time. Same with Sandy from Dum Dum Girls and Sophie from PINS. Maybe if my name began with an S I’d be able to do the same.
There are many bands that everyone should see live, but I urge you to see Warpaint wherever and whenever you can. I just wish I was a billionaire so I could pay Warpaint to sing to me everyday. There was something about last night’s show that just left you without words to describe it. You just left in awe knowing you had seen something remarkable.
So yesterday, I finally..FINALLY saw Say Lou Lou. When I saw they were playing London the day after my birthday, I knew I had to see them. I didn’t care that getting home would be a pain in various areas. I just HAD to see them. They immediately became an important band to me from when I first heard Maybe You ages ago, when they were known as Saint Lou Lou. I played Maybe You to death. I was (and still am) obsessed with. I love their single with Goodnight Keaton (Sweetness Alive.) Fool Of Me (with Chet Faker) is the perfect tale of when love takes a turn for the worst. Their sound is dramatic yet soothing. Can a band who don’t even have a full length record out yet convey all these feelings live? Basically, yes. YES.
Just before Say Lou Lou took to the stage a young chap just behind me kept yelling his love for the band and how excited he was. I firmly understood his love and excitement, but I’m not someone who likes to shout my feelings out to a bunch of strangers in a basement bar. Of course he did this numerous times when Say Lou Lou were on stage, and of course you did have someone yell back “Shut up, you’re embarrassing yourself.” Hey East Londoners, lighten the hell up! This person was having a good time and he was really happy to be there. You stand with your stone faced expressions and folded arms just wishing you could allow yourself to feel a fragment of joy. Maybe his yelling annoyed the band, but he was having a nice time. They felt the love, we all did.
Say Lou Lou played some new songs, and I think one of them was called Sky Lights..or Lines. I could be wrong. Regardless of what the song is called, it is bloody brilliant. Their sounds echo beautifully in this gorgeous venue; it was made for bands like Say Lou Lou. Better In The Dark sounds like a cult anthem for misfits who have their own vision of what love and lust is. Beloved breaks my heart instantly. The song is so painfully true, and one point in your life you will have related to the song. A release seems to ripple through the crowd from the band as they sing this song. Beloved is dark but has an essence of purity to it which is what makes Say Lou Lou so brilliant. They aren’t afraid to show a vulnerable side to love and such things. Beloved contains a line that is probably one of the most honest lyrics I’ve heard in a long long time, “Love is a facade for hate.” Goes right through you.
As they sing Julian any piece of you that is dented has been mended. You want to be the Julian that they are singing about. You feel as if you’ve been saved, briefly. Carry that feeling home with you. The drums on Julian are magnificent. The drums feel like your heartbeat becoming more steady and secure; Julian after seeing it live, somehow managed to mean more to me. Of course they play their cover of Tame Impala’s Feels Like We Only Go Backwards which is undeniably ethereal and wholeheartedly perfect. You feel that, whenever you feel hopeless, their version of this song will make you feel less of a coward for feeling so low. But surely you’re not a coward if you can admit to feeling low? I have no idea.
Fool Of Me sounded haunting and sinister. You could feel a wealth of hurt pour out of Elektra and Miranda. Elektra sang Chet Faker’s part, and this added the eerie tone to the song. Again, the drums on this add such a dramatic feel to the song. They emphasise the demanding nature song, how dare one person make another feel like that. We’ve all done it and we’ve all had it done to us.
Elektra and Miranda don’t speak too much to the crowd, but their smiles let it be known that they are in awe of what they’ve accomplished and how much they mean to their fans. The honesty in their music is what the fans really connect with. The dark atmosphere and honest lyrics just makes them stand out above the rest. They aren’t afraid to be so open with their feelings and to create such beautiful yet sometimes sad songs. The sad songs are the ones that our heart remembers. To heal, to hold and to treasure.
Say Lou Lou end their set, of course, with Maybe You. I can’t really put into eloquent and coherent words as to what this song means to me. Just know, it means a hell of a lot. And to finally see it live felt good. When you get to witness the song that introduced you to a band that is important to you, it just evokes a lot of emotion that words simply aren’t enough for.
After seeing them live, I really really cannot wait for their debut record. I was in awe of how brilliant they are live. I knew they’d be bloody good anyway, and maybe it is the fact they are twins and do have a deeper connection than most. Whatever it is, it was just an honour to watch and to be part of something that will be remembered for a long time (I’ve got a shit memory, but I’ll remember this night for sure.) Their sad songs soothe the soul and mend you. To have this kind if presence without even having a full length record out is evidently a sign that Say Lou Lou are going to just blow us all away when the record arrives.
Live or on record, Say Lou Lou have a presence that cannot be compared to. They are enigmatic and hypnotic to watch. Their music swirls around your heart giving you room to feel something you have never felt before.
For the past few years I had been waiting to write this. It’s pretty obvious how much Warpaint mean to me. I wouldn’t just have any band’s logo tattooed on me!
The bands/singer supporting Warpaint last night were incredible. Martina Topley-Bird set the tone for what was a night that felt like one massive escapism of the mind. Her vocal skills (with questionable sounding from the soundmen) are excellent. Her songs are short, but feel like you are wavering in and out of a fairytale; like you’ve reached the dark side. She’s brilliant, of course she is though. She was on Tricky’s debut record.
Secondly, Manchester’s finest, PINS are on (I’m ignoring the DJs because I don’t think you can really review a DJ set and I wasn’t really paying attention.) PINS are fucking AMAZING. Girls Like Us is a ritualistic listen for me. I play it most days as I make the delightful Met Line journey into work. Faith is one of the best front-women around, she stalks the stage and glares like a panther, and sings with real purpose. I’d been waiting for some time to see PINS live, and to see them supporting Warpaint was an honour. I was pretty happy to have seen LUVU4LYF live. I bloody adore that song. It fueled my love for them last year. They played as if they were headlining Brixton Academy. I’m pretty sure by the Summer of next year they will be. Anna, Lois, Sophie and Faith all play with this intensity that is missing in a lot of bands. On record you can hear hints of certain eras in music, but when you see them live all of these lame comparisons that (lazy) music journalists lob about just fade away immediately.
You cannot compare PINS to anyone else. When you see them live it is like they are the soundtrack to a reoccuring nightmare that you really don’t mind having; there’s some form of security in Faith’s delicate voice. As I was watching PINS, I started to hate the fact that I have NO musical talent. Oh and let it be known that the best drummers’ names begin with an S; Stella Mozgawa (Warpaint) Sandy Vu (Dum Dum Girls) and Sophie from PINS. There are some bands you could quite happily watch live over and over, PINS are easily one of them. I cannot wait to see them with Dum Dum Girls in December.
I must add that before Martina Topley-Bird came on stage, over the PA they were playing Velvet Underground’s debut record. Without that record, a lot of bands that we love never would have formed. Martina dedicated a song to Lou. He lives on in those that love, respect and admire him. Music can never die.
Warpaint walk on to the stage. I feel as if I’m going to throw up. I’ve waited years for this moment. I’m right at the front. It’s happening.
They open with new song, Keep It Healthy. They play some new songs from their second record, which is self-titled. Love Is To Die sounds divine live. Theresa’s vocals live sound stronger than they do on record, and the way she and Emily merge their vocals is just stunning. There is a bond between all of them that makes you want to start your own band. They make you want to ignore the world you are forced to live in, and to go create something else. They create this magical and mysterious world with their music. Of course it is Undertow which sees the crowd make a loud and questionable sound. The jam at the end just reinforces your love for them and your desire to go start your own band.
On record, Warpaint have been the band I’ve used when I cannot sleep or when I’m on the train and all I can see outside is streetlights. They are comfort and they are hope. Witnessing it all live was just as perfect as I hoped it would be. I closed my eyes, I swayed, I sang, I felt like a human being again. I felt as if no one else was in the room. My love for Warpaint has grown, and I’m really not sure how it could. It’s not just their music that makes you love them, it’s the way they are on stage with each other. Jenny and Stella are at the back like two disruptive kids in school. One look from either can make the other erupt into a fit of giggles. This is chemistry at its best. This is how a band should be. Warpaint make you wish you were in their band.
Warpaint aren’t a band that you just listen to in the background or go see live once. They become everything because their music just frees you in the most gentle way possible. They guide you delicately into a world where nothing matters apart from the moments their music creates. Certain parts in songs just set you off, and everything you feel is heightened. Watching them play Majesty live was beautiful. I remember interviewing Theresa three years ago, and I spoke to her about that song. There was something about that song, at that point that just meant a lot. Seeing it live fortunately brought nothing back. If anything, I just appreciated the song even more. Elephants was a riot in the mind. It felt like a catharsis in the purest form seeing it live. But for me, my highlight was Emily coming back on stage on her own to sing Baby. For the most part, their songs feel as if you are floating on water in a dream, a daze. But there is something about Baby that doesn’t distant you from real life. It feels like it is really happening, and the connection is different. It’s a very open and vulnerable song, and that’s probably why I love it. She also sang a bit of Patti Smith/Bruce Springsteen’s Because The Night during it.
As the evening came to a close, I started to think about everything Warpaint mean to me. I had finally seen the band live, after waiting for so long. The wait was made up of frustration and the need to just see them live because live music can give you something that just sitting and listening through headphones can’t.
This was a massive struggle to write because I feel as if I should have written more, or gone into more detail. All I know is that this was one of the best shows I’ve been to. There’s a private feeling that cannot be put into words when describing what seeing Warpaint live is like. I think those who have seen them live and TRULY feel their music will know exactly what I mean.
I woke up at 6am yesterday morning with a pain in my head that made me want to cry. However when I cry, I get a headache. I didn’t want to disturb my girlfriend from her slumber. I took some tablets and hoped the pain would go away. I went to the sofa and slept for an hour. A bout of nausea took over. Being sick terrifies me. A migraine has never made me throw up before; until yesterday morning. I immediately thought, “I’m not well enough to go see Ellie.”
Nothing gets in the way of me and music. I napped it off, saw a pal in town and I was alright. To Hammersmith we went!
I’ve seen Ellie go from playing to 200 people to now, venues like Hammersmith Apollo. To see someone who seemed so shy on stage around 3/4 years ago to a person in complete control of their performance and crowd is just beautiful to watch. In the crowd you can see her manager and brother look on with such pride. Imagine being that proud of your best friend/family member like that. It is just a magical thing to witness.
There is no denying that Ellie has a magnetic stage presence. The second she walks on stage this insane noise erupts. It sounds like a pack of hyenas being let loose. This noise happens quite a few times throughout the night. What is beautiful about the whole thing is that there is no “typical” fan here. Everyone is of various age, race, sexuality, everything. Music is freedom, and that is pretty much reinforced here.
I was pretty sad that Under The Sheets is no longer on the set list, but watching her sing Guns And Horses with just an acoustic guitar, and having the crowd sing every word back to her was a glorious thing to witness. Her voice is evidently the strongest it has ever been, and her distinctive vocals is exactly what makes her stand out. From songs like I Know You Care to Animal you really do pick up on how strong her voice is. When she sings I Know You Care (a song about her dad) I’m immediately reserved back to that early early morning in 1995 when I was told my dad had died. A wave of numbness hits me, and to an extent watching her sing this song is like a brief hit of healing.
The set list now predominantly consists of new songs. Lights was a tame record with delicate subjects, but Halcyon although does stay with similar subjects the songs are bigger and truly come to life when Ellie and her fantastic band perform live. They all perform with everything they have, and the crowd fully get that. What is so good about seeing Ellie live is that she is so happy to be on stage. It doesn’t seem like “just another show” to her, and that’s why I’ve probably seen her six times so far. Each time has shown how much she has grown as a performer, and you sort of feel like a proud parent looking on. The way she slays the guitar on Burn at the end, the way she dances on stage and how she drums like a woman possessed is incredible to watch. To see someone put their all into what they do is always a brilliant thing to watch.
As much as I love bands that are made for dark and creepy basement bars, there is something really special about seeing someone you’ve been a fan of from the start go from small venues to places like the Hammersmith Apollo. The atmosphere was magical, and every time I see Ellie live I claim that time as being the best show I’ve seen of her’s. This was the first time I’ve seen a London crowd actually move, all too often they seem afraid to move and sing along; this show was the complete opposite. Also, her backing singers unleashed some excellent moves last night and of course putting the Bassnectar remix in the middle of Lights is always going to be a highlight. The drop is amazing. Ellie Goulding is someone who everyone needs to see live..once or even six times!
Beat In My Bones. 