OSLO, HACKNEY
16TH AUGUST 2014
The Growlers bought their self-titled ‘Beach Goth’ party to London at the weekend, with a sell-out show at Oslo in Hackney. Support came earlier in the evening from The Wytches, the latest on the roster of Heavenly’s artists to be stealing the limelight, with an intense set located somewhere between Nirvana and early Horrors.
The venue was packed by the time The Growlers took to the stage. Frontman Brooke Neilson instantly commandeered the stage with his charismatic swagger, as the band played hits from their selection of albums and ep’s including fan favourites ‘Graveyard’s Full’ and ‘Acid Rain’. Neilson took control of the lighting in the venue, so that the flashing lights matched the speed of the songs and changed colour on his command, ensuring the audience were fixated on the spectacle in front of them.
Their sound could be described as anything between country, psychedelia and surf, and there’s even a Doors influence evident in more bluesy moments, a comparison which seems very apt as Neilson lets out primal screams reminiscent of the Lizard King himself between songs.
As the set continued, the whisky flowed on stage and fans were invited up to dance with the band, which culminated in a mass stage invasion with shouts of ‘you’re twisting my melon, man’ as both fans and band yelled into microphones.
The stage was cleared for the final songs of the set as the crowd began jumping, singing and crowd-surfing in force. The band brought the show to a climax with ‘Someday’ and ‘Beach Rats’, hits from their 2013 album ‘Hung at Heart’.