The North London four piece made a quick stop in Portsmouth on their latest UK tour to mark the release of their EP, Creature Songs. Joined by support from upcoming band Gengahr, while their other support, Superfood, were busy in Bath Spa recording their upcoming debut album.
The band began in 2010 as a solo project of Ellie Roswell (vocals and guitar). She was joined by Joff Oddie (lead guitar), Joel Amey (drums) and Theo Ellis (bass). They have supported Swim Deep, Peace and Manic Street Preachers, gaining critical appraisal from NME, The Guardian, and Radio 1. This summer they play at numerous festivals, including the legendary Glastonbury, and Reading and Leeds festival. After this they will take a trip to Brussels to record their highly anticipated debut album, set for release in early 2015. There seems the only way is up for this band, with their Glastonbury spot securing their future fame into 2015.
Wedgewood Rooms is a classic Portsmouth small venue. A difficult venue to fault, its atmosphere is comfortable and casual, and it has a long history of famous musical acts in its record. As a popular stop in many bands touring schedule, the venue is well known to most in the South. Although not full, or even vaguely packed, the audience felt cohesive and joined in with the atmosphere and the bands on stage.
Gengahr provided the support act. Their sound was original and alternative, copying a similar vocal style to Alt-J. Although their stage presence was limited, with dim lighting and minimal stage aesthetics, it gave a greater attention to their music. A solid backing of bass and guitar allows for a more experimental style of vocals. As a relatively unknown band at the start of the tour, their fame is likely to increase hugely in the coming future.
Wolf Alice’s set was more than I had expected. The band were relaxed and comfortable on stage, with a lot of interaction with the audience. As a band, they don’t follow the new tradition of a disconnected indie band, set on a pedestal, but instead remain casual and have no trouble laughing along with the crowd. For a Sunday show, the band had their performance perfectly suited, with a set list ranging from their heavier music to much more relaxed and melodic tunes, leaving the audience with a good feeling.
The highlights of the set were ‘Bros‘, ‘Fluffy‘ and ‘Nosedive‘. The band performed confidently, demonstrating a confident understanding of their music and potentially a slightly new direction for the genre as a whole. The audience itself varied, from the younger generation of more fashion conscious teens, to the more music oriented older people, but all seemed to unanimously enjoy the show.
Overall, a very enjoyable concert from the North London four piece, who have come on leaps and bounds since their beginnings. They’ll be ones to watch over the next few years, with their fame doubtless at the beginning of the boom that countless other indie bands have experiences in recent years.
