LIVE: HIDE – The Shacklewell Arms, 03.10.19

A primal, urgent, gripping performance: Industrial/electronic duo HIDE unleashed a torrent of brutal sound upon their Dalston crowd as part of their co-headline tour with Kontravoid on Thursday night.

Opening with ‘Chainsaw’, taken from the band’s latest album Hell Is Here (released on Dais Records), vocalist Heather Gabel and percussionist Seth Sher performed their aural exorcisms beneath frantic strobe lights.

The lyrics to ‘Chainsaw’ are informed by the street harassment Gabel has received in real life. Dressed like a misogynist’s nightmare with her unhinged grin and heavily blackened eyes & lips; she violently screamed the words “Smile! Bitch!”, throwing their abuse back in to the ether with scathing vitriol.

HIDE’s originality as a band lies in their undermining of patriarchal forces through powerful lyrical statements and abrasive noise. The pair transform fear and vulnerability in to distracting industrial tunes, and the impact of their efforts are best appreciated when seen and heard in a live environment.

Gabel’s frenzied, intense performance style perfectly accompanied Sher’s pulverizing beats. Between songs and blackouts, she removed articles of her clothing and continued to dominate the stage with her jagged movements and inescapable stares. By the time the duo performed ‘Raw Dream’, Gabel’s battle cries were fully fleshed – perfect for an anthem that tackles the imbalance of power.

Despite the brevity of their set, the impact of HIDE’s performance is one that lasts long after the strobes have finished flickering. Their thought-provoking, caustic, vital shows are a much needed antidote to the hellish reality they challenge through their art.

Follow HIDE on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@kcbobcut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

LIVE: Boy Harsher – HEAVEN, London 27.02.19

Jaded electronics, sultry vocals, and 80s inspired beats dominated Boy Harsher‘s sold out show at Heaven earlier this week. The Massachusetts’ duo blended nostalgic percussion with sharp modern production – and a stunning light show – to create an immersive live experience.

Presented by Night Terrors, the evening began with one-man-show Kontravoid. Masked and moving between his synths, the soloist was well versed in the nuances of the cold wave sound, paving the way for Boy Harsher to deliver a set that was designed to ricochet around Heaven’s walls.

Together, Jae Matthews and Augustus Muller played a mixture of old and new material, kicking things off with the aptly named ‘Intro’. The pair played a slow-burning but slick first half, which included the title track from their 2016 album ‘Yr Body is Nothing’, ‘A Realness’ and new single ‘Fate’, taken from their recent album Careful.

Caution was thrown to the wind mid-set as denser beats and more sporadic lighting was introduced, with Matthews fully relaxing in to her movements. The throbbing synths and pounding beats on ‘Come Closer’ were intoxicating, and the grand synthesizers on new track ‘LA’ felt like they could’ve scored an escape from a night-time crime scene. Matthews’ voice was as morose and lusting as it is on record, and Muller’s triggering capabilities were equally as precise.

The pair tore through the remainder of their set list – which included ‘Suitor’, ‘Tears’, ‘Tower’ and ‘Modulations’ – before returning for an encore that included ‘The Look You Gave (Jerry)’ and the pulsating intensity of ‘Pain’.

A cohesive blend of slow-burning and scintillating tunes, Boy Harsher’s live show was an alluring, seductive affair. Their capacity crowd was proof that Matthews and Mulller continue to capture the ears of their loyal fan base after five years together, and we’re excited to see what direction the pair take next.

Follow Boy Harsher on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment