Concert review - Warpaint at Birmingham HMV Institute
One of the fascinating aspects of the current crop of American indie bands is that they're not afraid to wear their 80s British indie influences on their sleeves while at the same time creating something new. Such is the case with Los Angeles all-girl four-piece Warpain.
Warpaint
HMV Institute, Birmingham
Concert review by Chris Davies
One of the fascinating aspects of the current crop of American indie bands is that they're not afraid to wear their 80s British indie influences on their sleeves while at the same time creating something new.
Such is the case with Los Angeles all-girl four-piece Warpaint, whose ethereal guitars call to mind the lush soundscapes of Cocteau Twins or Siouxsie and the Banshees, beefed up with, as their name suggests, a thunderous rhythm section.
And, when lead singer Emily Kokal asked last night's capacity crowd in the part of the venue known as The Library, whether they were "ready for a rock 'n' roll show", it was clear she didn't really need an answer.
Playing a setlist of songs from debut EP Exquisite Corpse and last year's album, The Fool, the band displayed a heavy, grungy edge to their dark songs about love to offset their four-part harmonies and any accusations of hippy dreaminess.
Huge cheers went up for single Undertow and Composure, where guitarist Theresa Wayman and drummer Stella Mozgawa swapped instruments, while an inspired cover of Mary Wells' My Guy showed this band is not without a sense of humour.
The biggest response from the audience, however, was reserved for Elephants, a song which evolves from a staccato guitar riff into a raucous beast drenched in chorus and reverb.
Watch this space. Warpaint are on the warpath.
