On a hot sunny evening Brixton Academy has a magical allure, as "The Horrors 25th May" hangs over the top the venue. Attracting a mixed crowd of young hipsters, Horror lookalikes, older adults and music lovers from every corner of London and across the globe (I spoke to a young American girl, excited to see the band in their element). It is an evening that bounds together feelings of hyperactive excitement and a strong anticipation to see the band headline this special venue for the very first time.
The last date on an extensive tour, Japanese band Bo Ningen opened the final date with a strong female vocalist backed by a mass distortion of fuzzy guitars and thumping drums, it's obvious why The Horrors invited them to play on every single date. They crashed through an intense four song set, barely breathing for air, the singer danced around the stage swinging her guitar around much like Sonic Youth's Kim Gorden. The early bird crowd were left floored by the bands burning energy that swept through the heavily laden riff's that flew around at a fine-tic pace.
Toy offered a more chilled out vibe, as the singers husky voice hung elegantly over the ambience of the tingling riff's and spiralling drums. The long haired five piece float somewhere between New Order and the Jesus and Mary Chain. They expand nicely on the current trend of shoe-gazing, fusing together melancholy with erratic spinning noises and danceable melodies. Keen audience members recognised the bands single Motoring which saw a number of people dancing enthusiastically and contributing to the songs chorus. Their fan base in London is ever expanding. Toy's hypnotic nature combined with their obvious influences of early electronic bands see their songs circulate the room like blood rushing to the head. Fully loaded on the style front and not shy to experiment, it's obvious why The Horrors see them having a strong future. About to tour with Primal Scream and dabble in a few summer festivals, Toy are one's to catch now, after tonights performance it's obvious that these guys are about to explode wildly in popularity.
As people swarm down on Brixton's sloped floor it's up to Beak to maintain a level of interest as the crowd are eagerly awaiting The Horrors to take to the stage. With one more beer in hand Beak's dreamy psychedelia fits the rooms temperament swimmingly. Echoing riff's are let loose like a Vulcan circling Brixton's rounded roof top, creating a rise in tension which transcends like a beating heart as they rumble through an enigmatic set. The vocals are few and far between but they do appear, like a touch of Animal Collective, musing gently they trip over the trance-inducing beat. As they exit the stage, the audience are left applauding, madly enthralled and intrigued by this elusive three piece who's eerie sound is somewhat alive with vigour and enticing mystery.
Finally, the moment everyone has been waiting for sees the stage bathed in euphoric lighting, instruments picked up in a way only rock stars can and an astonishingly tall front man, who's deep voice announces, "this one is called Mirrors Image". With their gothic image truly behind them, The Horrors step onto the stage with flare and an underlining confidence that this show is well deserved, following their ever successful career path. As Joshua's guitar snarls its way through the dark distortion, Rhys's sways begin instantly on the opening bars as he plucks with intense aggression on his bass and Faris grabs the microphone and his rasping vocals hit the audience straight on. Eruptions of cheers follow the first track with only a brief pause as Who Can Say follows on. Tom's synth spirals madly, matching the darting lighting effects that submerge the stage and band members alike, adding an LSD effect to the proceedings. The psychedelic neon patterns of Skying's I Can See Through You could easily have been found in Pink Floyd's early UFO gigs. Tonight they appear as fresh and tremendous as ever. As they dip into the dark shadows of Brixton's ghost like aura Scarlet Fields broods away, sprawling open an obvious Joy Division comparison as Faris' voice mimic's the desperation of Ian Curtis in such an intense manner that it is difficult to look away. He pulls the microphone towards him, enhancing every word exactly as it should be heard: gloriously haunting.
Pausing for air, Faris mentions what he calls a "good audience" and even lets out a glimmer of a grin as he acknowledges the bands achievements, "we are are very honoured to be playing this venue, it is our first headline gig here". Not one to ponder, the weaving guitars of Changing the Rain add a level of wooziness to the trance-like atmosphere. Tumbling riffs peak to dizzy heights, wistfully making the audience glide angelically from side to side just in time for the smooth opening of Endless Blue that washes over the audience like gentle waves touching the toes. As Joe's drumming reaches maximum volume, the waves come crashing down and the songs hurl the audience into a frenzy of of crazed energy, that bounces off the walls of the venue in time for a flawlessly spectacular Sea Within A Sea. Tripping into the flush of red lasers shaped to form a shadowing tunnel, Oceans Burning has a hazy flow and its melancholic musings feel as if one is being lifted from the floor, floating high above the rest of the world as Faris overlooks masterfully and brings "all the wonders to light". As a frosty blue light casts over the venue, Still Life presses into the soul and carries the audience away due to its lustfully beautiful space where time appears to stop everyone, interlocked together in this awe defining moment.
Screams of ecstasy reach staggering heights as the band depart from the stage, hailing every last drop of this bands excellence. As the lights collapse into total darkness, the bands looming presence returns with Faris once again thanking the crowd before the twinkling opening bars of You Said bring them back into the light. Arguably one of the key songs on Skying, this rarely played track filled my personal pleasures and was delivered in a way that truly shone out incredibly brightly. As ever, experimentation and freedom is what The Horrors do best and concluding the set with an eleven minute rendition of Moving Further Away was a step into their wild minds. Combining all of the members' individual talents, it set off to exceed any expectation of what these guys can deliver, and it did just that. Pushing further into the underworld, the level of distortion, maxed out by the microphones being tossed against the speakers, exuded a fluctuating sense of pure delirium paired with the audiences moving arms and feet.
Leaving the audience yearning for more, the evening was an absolute success. Capturing what is best about modern music by moulding the past and transporting it into new un-charted terrortories, these guys are the future and a future that I am always enthralled by and thrilled to be a part of.
