aaamusic | On 12, Mar 2011

Rome, February 26th

Another night live at Circolo degli Artisti, hosting The Joy Formidable, one of the most promising band of last three years.

Balthazar, a Belgian quintet, opened the show, it was the most surprising opening act I’ve ever heard since I discovered Goldfrapp supporting Coldplay in 2005.

They are a very tight-knit band, every member is a milestone and they wouldn’t be the same if one missed, because everyone gives something precious and irreplaceable, I can mention the touch of violin and keyboard by Patricia or Marteen’s strong charisma, or Jinte’s velvet voice. Their set included songs from Applause, their debut album, a mix of pop, blues, rock and glee choirs, their strong point is the beautiful and perfect harmonization of five voices.

Bassist Simon Casier controls the direction of the band’s songs, while guitarist Jinte Deprez uniquely plays the second, sometimes inaudible fiddle. The bass lines keep it slow but steady throughout the set and as such the band never quite surpass any mid-tempo speeds. Hunger at the door is a bootlicker piece of pop winking at the audience with a sensual singing style, while I’ll stay here is lascivious as well, but with a veil of melancholy in choirs, it reminds me something of Gorillaz style, inserting a catchy whistle as well.

Blood like wine ended the set with a stunning final choir inviting people to raise their glasses to the nighttime.

People really appreciated them, I saw enthusiastic smiles and comments after lights were turned up and I’m very happy to have discovered this amazing band.

After half an hour The Joy Formidable got hold the stage for a nine-tune set, showing all their energy and the positive aggressiveness of Ritzy Bryan, their blonde singer. They kicked off with the first two track of their new album The Big Roar a perfect title to depict the band.

The Everchanging Spectrum Of A Lie is a beautiful piece of shoegaze, but despite of its studio version, they emphasized the noisier part and Ritzy started playing her guitar like she wanted to punish it, while staggering around the stage on heels that look dangerously high. She looked for a visual contact with drummer Matt Thomas and at the same time she was in bassist Rhydian Dafydd’s face and she incited the audience, making as much noise as humanly and electronically possible.

Austere is incredible, the band carried away the audience playing its uproarious rhythm, helped by the hypnotic loop of the scream booming out in people’s mind, the whole ended with the usual noise of guitars.

The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade made people breathe after a powerful bluster of noise rock, while Buoy started quietly to go in crescendo sustained by a constant guitar riff, sensually sung by a strangely quiet Ritzy. Cradle was my favourite song because it reminded me the beautiful sound of Siouxsie and the Banshees, one of Joy Formidable’s inspirers. Apart from music they are amazing performers, because the fill the stage and their sound even if they are only three, Bryan is three people worth, jumping from one side to another of the stage playing furiously her guitar while the drummer beats his drums with the strength of a primitive man.

The performance ends with Whirring, a tune half Blondie, half Arcade Fire, Bryan after having sung it with the usual energy, placed her guitar against her amp and engaging a loop of feedback, altering the sound and headbanging like a maniac to the rhythm of the music, while Dafydd tried to beat on a spare bass-drum with the head of his bass-guitar, while still playing it. Needless to say, the ‘big roar’ echoed for a bit even after the band left the stage, and they didn’t come back for an encore.

Setlist

The Everchanging Spectrum Of A Lie

The Magnifying Glass

Austere

Chapter 2

The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade

Buoy

Cradle

Whirring

Author: Roberta Capuano