Chalk Hands are a good fit tonight, their guitar amps sound like they could ignite any second during the louder moments, their drummer’s limbs move as a fast blur. There’s no shortage of emotion in their vocals, each bar screamed into the fast filling room. They announce half way through the set that they’ve just booked a studio to record a new record, we’re then treated to two tracks that’ll be on said record, the first opening with a lush clean section before ramping the volume and energy right up. Certainly one to look out for based on the sneak peak we got this evening.
Trauma Ray (musically) drop everything down a tone, with some big slow riffs layered with the odd higher note ringing out and reverberating in the soundscape. Three guitars as well as bass and drums really helps create an audible assault on the audience. The tempo is knocked down and they sound HEAVY. The vocals are a lot more subdued than the previous band, especially through the verses – they work well in the mix though, a part of the wall of sound rather than the focal point. At one point the frontman of the band thanks the bassist and other guitarist on stage for joining them for this tour – you’d never know they don’t usually play with the band, they’re as tight as could be in what’s generally quite a wide field of sound.
After a short transition (soundtracked by some pop bangers – this really seems to be a trend at the moment!) the energy in the room ramps up get again for headliners Touché Amoré. The LA based quintet have no trouble in getting people singing along from early on, arms raised in the air. Frontman Jeremy Bolm paces back and forth around the stage, returning to the front to scream his lyrics as close the the crowd as possible – each word is delivered with a tonne of emotion, a real rawness and openness. The band sound great too, there’s an explosive energy to the drums and the guitars sound stunning yet incredibly loud. With six albums worth of material to choose from it’s no surprise that tonight’s set has an incredible twenty two songs in it – a lot are fast paced and blend quickly into each other so the night still goes by quickly. The main set ends with the opener from Stage Four, Flowers and You, a climactic moment in the set. An incredible evening and a great crowd for it.
Touché Amoré Setlist
Venue: Electric Ballroom, London
Set:
- Nobody's
- Art Official
- Nine
- Praise/Love
- Reminders
- And Now It's Happening in Mine
- Uppers/Downers
- Come Heroine
- Honest Sleep
- Hal Ashby
- Face Ghost
- New Halloween
- Disasters
- Harbor
- Palm Dreams
- Savoring
- ~
- Pathfinder
- Rapture
- Force of Habit
- Flowers and You
Encore:
- Limelight