After what has been a fantastic year for FEWS, a new moon approaches on the horizon to open their hotly anticipated 2017 European tour. With dates in Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg already under their belt and one of our favourite albums of last year. Not only do FEWS look to be the band of the moment but by adding Yassassin and Indian Queens to the bill, tonight’s proceedings look to be immense.
Indian Queens dazzle, blasting a shade of gold to the otherwise grey backdrop of Hackney, this is about as mesmerizing as it gets. There’s darkness, there’s serenity, and the capability to bite someone’s head off. The band make great use of what they have, from the trembling growl of the bass to the distant shimmering guitars, and the voice of a preacher and a lover combined for a sick twisted nightmare (wait, scrap that) fantasy. They have hit the nail on the head.
Balls to the wall rock n roll queens, Yassassin create an earthquake within the walls of the tiny hall tonight. Opening with ‘Pretty Face’, Yassassin give the middle finger to societal expectations of what a woman should be, in a calm, collected, taunting manner. The band shows a lot of diversity as the set progresses, the addition of the melodica is a nice touch giving the set a more playful atmosphere while still keeping the overall intensity that the band are capable of exuding.
Opening with new single ‘LaGuardia’, FEWS are greeted with a rapturous applause and the crowd opens to the blistering guitars, so loud that I’m sure the whole of Hackney is awake. FEWS blast through ‘100 Goosebumps’, leaving a funny taste in the mouth that can only be described as a lilac honey which burns the tongue, sugary sweet yet vulgar and fiery. Smashing their way through the set at 100 hundred miles a minute, they know exactly what people want from a show in an ever more pop oriented, commercialised 21st century; to get mad, to feel something, to tear up the rule book and turn your back altogether.
Pure Post-Punk – partly contemporary, punchy and washy – FEWS have a lot of tricks up their sleeve. Not only do the band pull out a few surprises, I can’t believe that the band play with even more intensity than on record, it’s also way faster, which couldn’t have been more perfect due to the atmosphere. Of course, there’s changes from the record but they’re done in such a way that they sound more bold, brave and mature in a many more ways than you could think. Rounding off the set with ‘ILL’, they show off their stacks of ammunition and go out all guns blazing, and due to the improvisational nature of the crowd-pleasing epic, it is a moment of pure mayhem, a pure revelation. Now this is what music is all about.
FEWS’ debut album ‘Means’ is out now via PIAS, and can be found on iTunes here.
