SON once again take over vintage shop Paper Dress, showcasing two of Britain’s hottest new prospects.
Words: Ciaran Picker.
Photos: Alex Amorós / SON Estrella Galicia.
SON Estrella Galicia are making a bit of a name for themselves on the East London music scene. Bringing some much-needed Spanish vibes to what is an unseasonably cold Thursday night in Hackney, they once again take over vintage shop Paper Dress, showcasing two of Britain’s hottest new prospects.
For an opening act with only three released singles to their name, the crowd that Brighton’s The New Eves’ draw is unbelievable. Visually, it’s impossible for them to avoid comparisons to Kate Bush and The Last Dinner Party, but once they start playing, it’s clear they bring something much more eclectic and adventurous to proceedings. There’s an intensity to the set that makes it spellbinding, which is kicked into near-hypnosis when placed alongside haunting, harmonic chanting and a constant, throbbing bassline. The band combine influences from as far afield as Alpine yodelling, Irish-folk violin, baroque cello, punky spat-out vocal, and classic rock guitar, making it all the more impressive that it blends together in such a coherent and engaging way. The band finishing with a cover of ‘Wild Thing’ by The Troggs probably shouldn’t be a huge surprise, with their whole show being an exercise in modernising outdated or under-used musical combinations, and with an impressively nonchalant assuredness at that.
From weird and wonderful to straight-up rock and roll, Coach Party bring their own unique brand of existentialism to life with a blaring set that’s enough to make the ground shake and ears ring. Still riding the wave of their exceptional debut album ‘KILLJOY’, the Isle of Wight quartet play tighter than ever, but with the scrappy, rough-around-the-edges quality that makes them both lovable and unbeatable. Kicking off with ‘All I Wanna Do Is Hate’, it’s clear that they haven’t come to play, with the searing social comment of ‘Micro Aggression’, the sugary sweetness of ‘Hi Baby’, and the middle finger-giving ‘Shit TV’ keeping the crowd moving and the energy building. “Do Thursday nights happen like this on the Isle of Wight?” guitarist Steph Norris ponders.
In fairness, it’s rare to get a Thursday night anywhere that’s as good as this. It’s guitar-rock at its best, and given that it all comes off the back of just one album and three EPs (some of which vocalist Jess Eastwood is keen to distance herself from), it’s only going to get better. By the time we reach the bombastic closing duo of ‘FLAG (Feel Like A Girl)’ and ‘Parasite’, Coach Party have cemented themselves as a live band for the ages, giving the audience a show that’s chock-full of vivacity, fire, and just Really Very Good songs. Drummer Guy Page manages to harmonise effortlessly whilst also driving the whole band forward, and guitarist Joe Perry throws out riffs and hooks like it’s nothing. “We love being in London,” Jess declares. Well, Jess, if one thing has been made clear tonight, it’s that London loves Coach Party even more.
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