Shrine / Throne / LYGER [Live Review – Electrowerkz, London, 7/8/14]
Making the jump from the practice room to the stage can be a worrying proposition, more of a leap of faith than anything else. Onstage, you’re not only relying on your own skills, or even those of your bandmates; you’re also putting the success of your show in the metaphorical hands of the venue and its equipment.
Last night, technical issues came close to ruining it for everyone – but the following bands still got the job done, and deserve your time and respect simply for getting through this show with their sanity intact:
LYGER
LYGER got off lightly, making it through a set of stoner rock spiced up with the influence of Placebo, Incubus, and Muse. Although this was a fun and promising set, I really want to see LYGER playing a venue with better sound and fully functioning equipment; although LYGER did put a lot into their performance, it didn’t project effectively. That said, these guys made it onto my ‘Bands To Watch’ list – so it’s not all bad.
Throne
Picture Black Sabbath as a power trio with a fantastically hypnotic female drummer and mentally stable frontman, and you have Throne right there. Bashing out immersive proto-metal in 2014 is an interesting move, and Throne pull it off well with an abundance of focus. More technical difficulties ensued thanks to temperamental microphones and busted pedalboards, but Throne made it through and did the job.
Shrine
The last time I reviewed a Shrine gig, I picked out their bassist as a personal highlight – but this time around, I couldn’t pick even a single moment as a highlight here. Shrine are just too consistent – every second and note of this set was intense, epic, and totally owned by every member.
One of the main things that set Shrine apart is their obvious closeness and camaraderie. Shrine push themselves and each other to new heights with every song they tear through, and as an audience member you feel welcomed even as your brain struggles to comprehend Shrine’s snaky and intricate riffage. A live Shrine show is an exceptional experience, even when (as here) a completely flatlining monitor system leaves them unable to continue.
As with their support acts, I’m looking forward to seeing Shrine play a venue where everything works properly.
Links
Shrine on Facebook and Twitter.
Throne on Facebook and Twitter.
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