Editors note:
In the midst of last month, the The Line Of Best Fit hosted their ninth edition of their annual Five Day Forecast. And this is no line-up to hide in the shadows – having previously featured an array of emerging talent-turned Mercury Music Prize nominees, this collection of wonderful showcases is the perfect celebration of what the grassroots community has to offer.
We would like to praise Rich and The Line Of Best Fit team for yet again bosting a gender inclusive line-up, with female and non-binary inclusive acts taking a whopping 80% of this years programming. Thank you for allowing The New Age Magazine to come and report on this wonderful occasion.
Luce Rushton
Having spoken to Luce a mere 20 minutes before her performance, I had an expectation for what someone as brilliantly introspective as her would sound like.
She didn’t disappoint.
Between each song, Luce, the sole member of her four-piece band to speak to the audience, merely mutters the phrase, “Thanks for having us tonight.” You very quickly got the impression that the only thing that matters for them is the music. No time to mess around.
But, however much they chose to speak to the crowd, none of that mattered once they began to play. Luce and her band played with a simplistic but intimate beauty, with the attitude and stage movement of a group of people that were waiting for the tube home.
To be able to convey that much emotion whilst standing almost completely still is extremely difficult, yet they managed to pull it off so effortlessly. While some bands try too hard to get the crowd on their side, they appeared assuredly unbothered over audience opinion.
Make no mistake, we were privileged to be in their presence.
One major thing of note about Luce is that she sang in her regional accent. As someone from the UK, I immediately felt connected to what she was singing, before I even heard the words. Though the almost cryptic style of singing itself is reminiscent of Michael Stipe’s live performances, one unforgettable line can be heard, when she says, “Time is against me.”
For someone who is far from old, that line suggested the thoughts of someone who is thoughtful and wise beyond their years.
But, someone who is as raw and introspective as Luce needs a band who compliment her perfectly.
Luckily, her team did exactly that.
The drumming, in a style that can only be described as ‘stoner beats,’ remains simple, yet effective throughout. The bass too refuses to steal the limelight, whilst carrying its own appealing melody, all whilst managing to compliment Luce’s intricate, reverb-heavy guitar riffs. So much is the band’s chemistry, that, at one point, they break out into what feels like a mini-jam session.
Though playing in a venue as tight at The Lexington is perfect for Luce and her band, the chances are that they may not be playing in smaller places for much longer.
BLUE BENDY
After watching the impressive opener, I knew that the crowd deserved a second act that would equally live up to expectations. What we got was genre-defying, six-piece band Blue Bendy.
Even their recent interview to The Guardian, where they said they “want to do everything,” would tell you to expect the unexpected. Their soundcheck also showed us that we would be seeing no ordinary band. Whilst on most occasions a simple tune of the guitar may take place, instead we heard white noise, coupled with a piece of drumming reminiscent of seminal percussionist Reni.
The band hadn’t even started, and yet I was already in awe.
The gig itself started with a loud, gong-like bang of the drums. In fact, such was the captivating aura of every band-member, I took no notice of Arthur Nolan, the lead vocalist, until he began to sing.
Arthur’s voice was sung in baritone and hit every emotion there is for a voice to possibly hit. With screams similar to Archy Marshall (aka King Krule), whatever pain Arthur is feeling, you are feeling it with him every step of the way. At no point throughout the set does he open his eyes, instead appearing to immerse himself in a journey that only he understands.
Beyond Arthur’s voice lies a perfectly-fit band, with almost science-fiction-like keyboard sounds and an acoustic guitar which, though perhaps unexpected for an industry band, provides some much-needed structure thrown into a mix of beautiful chaos.
Upbeat? Melancholy?
At times it’s difficult to tell. However, what is certain is that a part of me will forever staywith their performance.
DIVORCE
Now, for the final band. The main band. A band named “Divorce” shouldn’t be enjoyable, yet this band is exactly that. Not just their captivating performance, their interaction with the adoring crowd was entertaining and funny throughout. If anyone understands what the “chicken story” is, please do let me know.
Whilst the opening song begins with the drums, the attention soon turns towards Tiger Cohen-Towell, the lead singer.
So effortlessly cool is she, that the rest of the band are unable to gather any attention towards themselves, but why would they? It’s her world and we’re simply living in it.
This is perhaps where Tiger differs from the preceding vocalists. Whilst the crowd were perhaps used to seeing the singers singing almost within themselves, Tiger did not take her eyes off the audience. She knew she had us at her grip.
Yet, despite this, the other members carry their own weight perfectly. Not forgetting the telepathic vocal harmonies between the lead singer and guitarist Felix Mackenzie Barrow, the distorted keyboard-bass sound provides a booming simplicity to each song.
They’re the main act. We know it. They know it, and they play the part to perfection. “This is fucking great. Best night of the five in my opinion,” they then said. With a performance like that, it’s tough to disagree.
