It was a while since I’d been to a gig, so I was excited see The Horrors at none other than Belgrave Music Hall, a great little gem nestled in the heart of Leeds City Centre.
The Belgrave’s become one of my personal favourite hang-out spots in Leeds, for a relaxed evening grabbing food and some pizza with friends and a few pints out on their rooftop terrace (which is especially lovely in the summer).Belgrave has hosted some big names and is a great venue to go and see some live music, too.
After a 7-year break from their last album, (they have released a few EPs since then), The Horrors put on a great show from start to finish. Faris Badwan dominated the stage – looking the part with his long, messy hair, he stood out against the back-lit stage.
Furthermore, they’ve also added new members of the band, and sounded great together, drawing in a crowd that filled the entire room.
The Horrors arguably have a sound attributed to the latter half of the 2000s, that seems to have died back down in recent years. Nevertheless, with their gritty and languid melodies, they could have stepped straight out of the 60s.
A credit to them – they’ve retained their fanbase and they sold out the show, despite the fact that they haven’t toured or released an album since 2017, as well as it being their first time touring with their newer members. Their performance was polished and tight-knit.
I’m excited about their upcoming album, and I’ll be listening out for contributions from Amelia Kidd (keyboard) and Jordan Cook (drums), who are no strangers to the scene. It’ll be interesting to see what influence they bring.
The Horrors’ tour comes ahead of the next album, due to be released in 2025. Curiously, the band chose not to tease any live new music and stuck to their existing discography, but they went down well with the crowd.
The dry ice ‘smoke’ swirling around the room seemed compatible with their hazy, guitar-led tunes – sounding not too dissimilar to the likes of The Cure, Joy Division and My Bloody Valentine, whilst the synth provided that unsettling garage-rock sound that reminded me of New Order.
The Southend-on-Sea 5-piece definitely looked the part. The lighting attributed to their moody and gothic sound, but the music was the show. Their sound was nostalgic, still with its own, unique, identity – and the mixed audience danced and sang along, at one with the artists on stage.
www.thehorrors.co.uk
Photography by Steffi eisert.
