Settling into a fine Friday evening at le Café de la Danse, with Belgian artist Berre, the main support for this tour. The young man and his guitarist presented a 30 min-ish of acoustic folk music, sprinkled by a bright smile to go along with it. Songs such as ‘Kissing Strangers’ or ‘Happier’ enlightened the very attentive crowd. It actually was the third time that the singer played in Paris, and he could not deny that the fans were always sweet, before proceeding to perform his very first single, ‘Say My Name’. Highlight of the set was his cover of Freya Ridings, ‘Lost Without You’. This was a true success, but, as Berre amusingly said, not as much as Amber Run!
There’s something really cool about catching a band’s first gig, especially when it doesn’t feel like a first gig. The band strolled onstage with beers in hand and looked every inch the seasoned professionals they are. Jamie and Darren from The La Fontaines unveiled their new project, bringing a tuneful, buoyant energy that felt like a love letter to the early 2000s indie scene. Think Arctic Monkeys meets Cage The Elephant where uncomplex riffs that don’t demand too much, hit all the right nostalgic notes. It was the kind of set that evoked memories of festival fields, sunny afternoons, and the thrill of discovering a new band. The lighting added a particularly gorgeous visual polish to the show, cascading from behind the musicians, accenting the movements of the music.
The lead singer’s voice, a husky, emotive mix, and a departure from the clean, crisp vocals that he usually brings to The La Fontaines when on drums. Stage presence wise, the guitarist in particular was a standout, radiating joy, bouncing with every riff, clearly in his element. There were a lot of guitar pedals for a band of this genre, but the effects didn’t overwhelm; instead, they added subtle depth to what was otherwise a straightforward indie rock sound.
Mid-set, they squeezed in a quick retune before launching into a surprise cover of Yazoo’s ‘Only You’ that felt both familiar and freshly reinterpreted on strings. A valiant first outing for this new project, and hopefully a balm for fans of The La Fontaines.
Any band’s first show can be nerve-wracking but starting sharing a line up stacked with some of the scene’s most exciting names is a true test of a group’s grit. With their doomy mix of shoegaze and punk, the three-piece pulled off an admirable first swing with enough low and slow riffs to shake the stage and enough punk energy to shake the crowd. If Pesto can hone their sound and keep up the momentum they seem to have built with the packed out Clwb Ifor Bach then this young trio could easily make a name for themselves in the local scene.
Hailing from Bristol and formed in 2019, Trashed are a three-piece pop-punk outfit clearly inspired by icons of the scene such as Green Day, Busted and Blink-182, especially on singles such as “Decay” and “Memories”. Despite obvious technical difficulties during their twenty-five minute set, they remained professional, and their high-energy performance was certainly memorable. Although the audience was sparse; they made a great impression with their catchy tunes, and are clearly seasoned musicians who have experience with touring and penning accessible, yet exciting two-minute bangers. If you are at all familiar with the Bristol punk scene, Trashed are definitely ones to watch, and their latest single “Drip Fed” is a clear highlight from their discography.
Opening with Rudyard Kipling’s 1903 poem ‘Boots’ – now known for soundtracking the recent trailer for the upcoming film 28 Years Later – False Reality indicate or even promise a lot of things for their set. Hype, for a start. Excitement, anticipation secondly. The possibility of zombies, even. But whilst rage carriers are notably absent here, the crossover thrashers do certainly live up to some of the promises indicated. Riding high following a string of headline shows and sounding on absolute brilliantly form, the London unit don’t shuffle but spree through their set with all the haste and persistence of the murderous lunatics from the aforementioned upcoming film.
There’s nowt grace or hesitation to False Reality tonight, just the ceaseless stomp synonymous with the UKHC movement as of late that’s further complimented with that classic, lacerating and timeless thrash edge that’s clearly enjoyed by the battlejacket-donned punters here. ‘Cost of Spite’ stands as a set highlight, especially with it’s solo sounding akin to Slayer in their prime. Granted, it’s early, and whilst some of this large room may have all the energy of the undead, there’s still plenty of stank faces and headbangers abound clearly enjoying this fantastic set.
Kicking off the night’s proceedings are Hertfordshire quartet, Praetorian. Dipping into the depths of depravity, their sound is far from the posh surroundings of their homelands. Monstrously loud and oozing with gloom, their offering is just as pummelling live as it is on record. Blackened elements and the vocalist Tom’s bewitching growls create a sinister ambience, vividly contrasting with the moments groove and blissful post-metal leanings that offer relief from the nastiness. Even in the face of adversity (tech issues), they do not lose a single drop of ferociousness. It is obvious from this set why the band is rapidly gaining momentum in the scene.
