The first band to take on the sweaty music hall in The Victoria was Irish 5 piece from Dublin, Gurriers. The invincible noise rock band that formed during the pandemic gave festivalgoers the perfect opening set filled with vivacity, commotion and lots of mullet shaking. Their setlist started with their clamorous latest single ‘Nausea’ which was the perfect welcome to the beautiful clatter of Gurriers.
The bands progressive post-punk noise shook the room with sounds that were similar to Fontaines D.C and Gilla Band, yet Gurriers made their own mark and sound with their shoegaze vocals and heavy bass undertones which were made obvious when they performed their single ‘Top Of The Bill’. A step down from the chaotic yet contagious energy of other Gurriers tracks providing the audience with a glimpse of the softer music they create. Gurriers versatility shone throughout their whole set and for a band that are still emerging out of the Irish music scene, they showcased some serious talent, drive and capacity to thrive in the ever-growing post-punk world.
We then continued our adventure into the post-punk world with one of Australia’s most favourable and ridiculously talented bands, dust. A relatively new band with their debut EP ‘et cetera, etc’ released only in March this year, which has led them to travelling the globe touring with numerous big names such as Hockey Dad, Protomartyr and DZ Deathrays before embarking on their first solo headline UK and EU tour. A group of best friends that are still relatively fresh in the game with such an astounding talent and sound is something unheard of today and therefore dust deserve every inch of success they are achieving.
dust managed to perform there set in the same style as their EP with interludes and jazz inspired jamming in between tracks, and this is something that makes them distinctly unique and special. They immerse you into the EP with the prominent saxophone and looming bass that provide a constant throughout their discography and live shows. The emotive record is displayed throughout dust’s set by every single band member in their own way, and the passion they each have is contagious to the audience which makes everyone there fall in love with the way they showcase their talent through their songs.
The political statements alongside the gravelly guitar riffs in their track ‘The Gutter’ got people’s heads bopping to this fast-paced and honest single. Gabe’s vocals shone throughout but especially in this track, you can hear the intense feelings and meaning behind every word being sung by him and that energy exuberates through the whole band as the groove of this record changes throughout.
dust closed their breathtaking set with their latest single ‘Joy (Guilt)’. A heartfelt story of love and loneliness in the most inspirational and uplifting way which made it the perfect song to close their unbelievable set to. Liam, Kye, Gabe, Justin and Adam’s individual musical talents of bass, drums, spoken-word vocals, saxophone and guitars collide to make the perfect dust track which is emphasised when you hear them live and experience their drive to perform.
Next to take on the The Victoria is New York indie punk band Been Stellar who have gained a huge music following from touring with like-sounding musicians Fontaines D.C. Been Stellar are a band that take you on a journey through the love, violence and life of NYC in their tracks and they perform them with passion and power in every show they do. They closed the night at The Victoria perfectly giving the loving audience a night to remember with an inspirational setlist.
In the eartH theatre at 10pm, festival goers witnessed a set like no other. A band that has a genre of their own and who always perform it with intensity and electricity. Sorry gave Pitchfork a set that was completely unforgettable by performing their insane discography with a string section to strengthen their already strong sound. The beautiful venue hosted even more beautiful sounds of violins, guitars and the shoegazey vocals of lead singer Asha Lorenz illuminated the room.
One of the highlights of the whole event was during their track ‘Stargazer’ where half of the theatre ran towards the stage to start a huge mosh pit which literally made the whole theatre shake. The eery sounding guitar riffs combined with the echoing vocals and screams roared and blew everyone there away. The flashing lighting mixed with the intoxicating energy of the room provided by Sorry was something magical and unbeatable.
Pitchfork supplied London with a night full of impressive bands and artists that are unmistakeably unique and polished and the thought of seeing what these musicians do and achieve in the near future is incredibly exciting.
Alice Mason
@alicemxson // @alicegoestogigs
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