15th November
Gorilla
8.5/10
Though the night was young and opening band Duologue just winding down their set, the excitement of the gathering crowd was palpable. By the time supporting band NYPC (formerly New Young Pony Club, who seem to be embracing the minimalist trend on their third album, paring down both their name and number of band members) took the stage, a large crowd had gathered, those in the front mere inches from the performers on stage. NYPC didn’t disappoint, performing a high-energy set of their danceable yet emotive dream pop, effectively setting the stage for headliners Fenech-Soler even as their set was cut a song short due to time constraints.
The collusion of the three bands performing proved an intelligent choice, effectively layering on higher and higher energy sets. Taking the stage with the new single ‘Last Forever’ off their recently released sophomore album Rituals, Fenech-Soler launched into a 14 song set list that managed to maintain the crowd’s liveliness and enthusiasm throughout. Lead vocalist Ben Duffy continually engaged with the crowd, and the whole band seemed deeply immersed in the performance, a sentiment that was infectious. Fenech-Soler mixed in strong visual elements that added to the vibe of the gig, such as the flash of impounded drums and colourful background lighting that provided an appropriate aesthetic to the electronic pop sound of the band. This didn’t distract from Duffy’s solid vocals that carried over the packed room.
In a lengthy set heavy with new tunes, Fenech-Soler’s ability to maintain the crowd’s interest was impressive. Rounding off the set with popular singles ‘Stop and Stare’ and ‘All I Know’, when the lights came back on there was the quality of the end of the night at a nightclub, when nobody is ready to stop dancing.
