Live: ANTEROS // The Garage, London
Following the announcement of their debut album, When We Land, Anteros deliver a fascinating performance at The Garage in London.
Anteros have a particular type of charm rarely possessed by indie or pop bands in recent years. They’re effortlessly endearing and engaging, but with none of the forced mystery that often seems to create an unlikable haze around other bands of their ilk. Laura Hayden’s energy turns even the most sombre songs into a party and the chemistry between them all is unmistakable.
Having just announced the release of their anticipated debut When We Land (finally, right?!), there’s a lot to celebrate tonight. They’re in the midst of kicking off their UK tour – tonight is only the second night after Brighton last night – and it’s their biggest headline slot to date.
They go from strength to strength with each track played, from older fan favourite and Breakfast EP closer Ring Ring, to new album singles Ordinary Girl and Call Your Mother. Surrounded by the more unassuming, shimmering pop of their back catalogue, songs like Drunk, with its Blondie-esque grit and exhilaratingly punchy chorus keep the set’s power at a constant high.
Bonnie, a self-proclaimed “tribute to girls” is usually the heart-warming point in the set where Laura invites a number of the women in the crowd up on stage to sing and dance with her, but perhaps the security at The Garage had other ideas. As much as it’s fantastic to see Anteros flourish and thrive, this part of the set helped define them as the fun, interactive band they are today; it would be a shame to lose the harmonious layer it adds to the show. Speaking of the inspiration for the track, Laura says: “We wrote ‘Bonnie’ about the pressures of being a girl in a world of people who never seem to be happy with what they have. It’s time to break away from that; to love and accept ourselves. To stop comparing ourselves to each other and work together.”
