GENGAHR Hit Hometown with New Material
GENGAHR showcase brand new songs on their extensive UK tour.
The Courtyard’s stage-room is drenched in lights and filled with artificial smoke. The anticipation is sky-high, sound tracked by occasional chants for the band of the night, a demanding homage for the London four-piece’s show.
”We’re Gengahr”, Felix Bushe states as the band enters the stage, though no introduction needed.
Kicking off with new tune Mallory the crowd is surprisingly responsive, even to brand new, unknown, material.
Following up is Heroine from their debut album, A Dream Outside. It is easy to see the source of excitement as the guitar-laid track, in the courtesy of John Victor, soars through the air, steadily flourishing as Bushe reaches the prime of his falsetto vocals in the chorus. The tune climaxes into a bundle of guitar and bass, before finishing in true singalong-style.
The intimacy of this showcase gig provides a blank canvas for the band to project their new material. Having displayed it to the most giddy fans, the reactions seem beyond encouraging.
New track Whole Again is a melodic dream. Turning up the amp it seems like Gengahr’s new songs are considerably heavier, yet they still keep their psych-like dreaminess intact. As they let the music lead, falling in cascades of scattered instrumentation – it’s a sensation, at least played live.
The carefully crafted setlist balances between old and new as Gengahr follow up with Bathed in Light giving the crowd room for another sing along. The steady beat has the crowd on their toes.
“This is a special night,” Felix claims. “Playing some new songs that we’ve been working on.” And indeed it is special. Their new material is a step up from their marvel of a debut, A Dream Outside. They seem more bold, and the tunes we’ve been presented tonight are both weighty and more refined. The newfound courage also sees Felix Bushe break out of his safe falsetto, exploring new ranges with his vocals.
Following the incredibly tight new tune, Carrion, is crowd favourite Dizzy Ghosts. The pounding instrumentals juxtapose the silent verse, illustrating the contrasts between silent and louder as a dynamic that seems to be Gengahr’s forte.
Even in the live format, Gangahr give the demanded space to breath within their tunes, something that initially made them stand out from the wall of noise in 2015. Their intelligent, and slightly unsettling, psych pop is scattered with sweet counterpoints between Bushe’s falsetto vocals and the guitar-heavy basis of their tracks. Danny Ward’s intricate drum-patterns certainly make up his part of their presents, giving the tunes the hit they demand.
Before Sunrise is another new track we’re lucky to enjoy this evening, its daring and playful dynamic showcase Gengahr’s development marvellously. Embers again have you absolutely consumed. Sparkling with wild guitar and a funky attitude, Hugh Schulte‘s elastic bass lines give the track a depth needed to avoid a popy dismissal, and it blooms in the dynamic of this tune.
There is an immediacy in their set, it demands to be heard, and frankly it really should be. I’m honestly stunned, both because I usually take it as a negative when a band comes off as introverted, keeping interaction to a minimal, yet somehow it works in Gengahr’s favour and lets the music be the main focus. I am also honestly impressed with their new material and can’t wait to see what’s next.
Felix is half-way through introducing a new tune when a bold demander in the crowd shouts “She’s a Witch!” “But that’s not new”, Bushe excuses. “No, but is great.” And after (setlist abbreviated) WWG, the crowd spokesperson gets it his way, as She’s A Witch rounds off the main set. Not only do the crowd knows every word, the tune also underlines why we all fell for Gangahr in the first place. The dreamy tune has the boys coexist in a vacuum of guitar effect and hazy cymbals, as the set comes to an end.
Definite end comes in a surprisingly set encore giving the crowd one last snippet of Gengahr before emerging into the cold November night.
Photos: Kasia Osowiecka