Savages
were probably the most exciting and potential-packed band to emerge from a
fairly moribund early 20-teens UK music scene, burning brightly and incandescently
with a snarling blend of sinister bass-led intense post-punk and an undeniable
manifesto-led gang mentality, ultimately (for me at least) reviving my coasting
interest in discovering new bands of that ilk and paving the way (again, for
me) for the likes of Desperate Journalist, Coach Party and October Drift. Strangely,
given their all-inclusive collectiveness, their star burned as briefly as it
burned bright, the band being done after their second album in 2017, with lead
singer and agitator-in-general Jehnny Beth sneaking out a considerably more
reflective (and much quieter!) solo album in “To Love Is To Live” 3 years later
before disappearing again, apparently to concentrate on other forms of media
and expression. So, all quiet on the Western front… until news of a new album
together with some snippets of considerably more overt noise emerged on Facebook,
along with a couple of London dates which I gave consideration to, but
ultimately sadly dismissed given the already-packed nature of my Autumn Dance Card.
What I need, I thought, is a Bristol Rough Trade meet and greet show for the
new album… patience was rewarded, and I gleefully booked when this one cropped
up!
Coming to the end of my tenure at work, I’d been in the office a couple of days on the trot, so understandably came home today with a bit of a headache. A lie down, a couple of Anadin Extra and a late departure, however, and I was off down the M4, parking up at 7 and browsing the books in the RT shop before popping into the back-room venue about 20 past. This was already very busy indeed – seemed I wasn’t the only one happily anticipating Jehnny’s return! I grabbed a spot about halfway back for the onstage arrival of Jehnny and her band (who’d all been brazenly sitting in the RT Café since I’d arrived), prompt at 7.30. A quick greeting from the singer, then straight into the dynamic, itchy backbeat and Rage-like squalling pre-middle 8 chant of newie “Broken Rib”, immediately setting the tone both for tonight’s show and the new material.
Without
a doubt, with this new album “You Heartbreaker, You”, Jehnny Beth has brought
back the noise. Visceral, caustic, breathless, grungy, dirty, riff heavy,
underpinned with sleazoid bass patterns variously recalling the works of Peter
Hook or Dead Kennedys’ Klaus Fluoride, this set was uneasy, savage (small-s!)
yet thrilling listening, conveyed with the usual wide-eyed conviction by
Jehnny, her musical and personal partner Johnny Hostile, and their young
bandmates. A shout out for Big Jeff from Jehnny (“don’t be jealous, I love you
all… just him a little bit more…!”) preceded the punky blast of “High Resolution
Sadness” and a foray from the singer into the crowd, getting all up in punters’
grills; an early cover of Bjork’s “Army Of Me” was stomped all over with big
beetle-crushing boots; and a namecheck by Jehnny for Hostile (“he played every instrument
on the record – I did fuck all!”) preceded a taut, uneasy “Obsession”, probably
my favourite of the new material, with a slow-crawl build resembling Echo And
The Bunnymen’s “Crown Of Thorns” busting into a noisy crescendo.
A penultimate cover of US post-hardcore band Quicksand’s “Inversion” preceded Jehnny complimenting the crowd and Bristol in general (“it’s always been really great to play here, [so] we’ll be back!”), final number “I See Your Pain” featuring a comparatively soft, almost pastoral opening prior to the trademark acerbic and grungy chorus, rounding off a splendidly noisy set.
A quick queue, then an entertaining chat with the Star Of The Show and “Mr”/ “Sir”/ “Lord” Hostile, my also reminding Jehnny of our brief encounter in Forbidden Planet on Record Store Day 2014 (gig 912/913) which she claimed to remember (not so sure about that, but I’ll take the implied compliment…), and I then hit the road via Taka for a snacka. Back at half past nine, reflecting on a proper return to form. On the evidence of tonight, then, Jehnny Beth has rediscovered her voice and is back as snarling and savage as before…!
