LIVE REVIEW: The Getaway Tour @ Boston Music Room, London
Showcasing some of their most promising bands, Rude Records‘ The Getaway Tour is a three-night blitz of the UK in some intimate venues. On night one of the tour at Boston Music Room in Tufnell Park, the three band bill kicks their journey off with a bang.
Opening the run of shows for The Getaway Tour is French trio OAKMAN, whose sugary hooks sit somewhere between pop-punk and alt rock with more than a hint of shoegaze. Alongside their shimmering songs they bring a joyous sense of humour, regaling the crowd with the tale of how much they enjoyed trying new cuisine (“the Wetherspoons breakfast, I think I liked it”). The song following that quip, Hope, is a slower number leaning far more into shoegaze, with spacey guitars and softly sung verses. Their drummer still batters the snare like a hardcore beatdown while later, their vocalist shows an impressive range as she soars over the swirling guitar lines. Lucky Charm sees them putting down the guitar for a keyboard initially, though there’s a false start leading to a short, impromptu French lesson before they get going again. Some say good things come in threes and OAKMAN are no exception.
Rating: 8/10
It’s a tough act to follow, and UK outfit MODERN ERROR have their work cut out for them. Fusing electronics with metalcore is nothing new, but the band have their own particular take on it that brings in tinges of emo and post-hardcore. Synths pulse atop electronic drums, interspersing the heavier moments where the trio dial up the aggression. The biggest problem tonight isn’t with their music but the sound; where most trios have members doing lead vocal duty along with something else, MODERN ERROR have a lone vocalist in Zak Pinchin. That means they lack a live bassist, unfortunately undermining their songs in some parts where it could be most impactful. Despite this, they still portray their own vision for their live shows, tube lights flanking the stage that alternate between various block colours or flashes and Pinchin‘s own relentless energy. Fortunately their towering choruses aren’t robbed of their emotional punch and they still deliver a solid performance in spite of the occasionally thin sound.
Rating: 7/10
London three-piece DELAIRE THE LIAR are riding high on this week’s release of excellent new single bite trap, one that furthered their blend of scuzzy alt rock and emotional storytelling and quickly cemented itself as one of their finest songs to date. It shows, too; from the opening notes of Furnace into bite trap, they’re on even more incendiary form than usual. A whirlwind of onstage energy as ever, vocalist and guitarist Ffin Colley is a commanding presence as ever whether he’s slinging riffs or putting the guitar down to give the vocals his all. No Accident goes off like a bomb, the band masterfully moving from its raw opening to the outpouring of emotion when it erupts. They also debut yet another new song where vocalist/bassist Em Lodge takes the spotlight for an arresting performance eliciting loud cheers from the crowd. The band gleefully tear through old and new, songs from 2021’s excellent Eat Your Own EP going down a storm alongside diehard fan favourites. The band have been going from strength to strength with a recent appearance at the inaugural Lume Fest here in London and tonight continues to highlight one of London’s most promising upcoming bands that, in their words, are on the cusp of something huge.
Rating: 9/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action from Ciara Wilkinson Media here:
Like DELAIRE THE LAIR, MODERN ERROR and OAKMAN on Facebook.