Luckily I’m quite a tall chap. This allowed me to stand and peer, meercat like, above the tightly packed sea of big ironic haircuts that gathered in front of the band that are the nowest of the now, The Horrors.

This was certainly a hip young crowd, Brighton’s scenesters flocking along to see these post-punk garage rock London wonder boys strut their disenfranchised, alienated stuff. These scary gents certainly did not disappoint with their look, reluctantly strolling onto the stage, staring dejectedly at their adoring crowd. But could their sound back up their fashion, or did these boys just make good magazine covers? Well, yes, it could.

The Horrors were showcasing their second album Primary Colours (a name not without irony considering the band’s distinctively monochrome attire), a follow up to their 2007 debut Strange House, which received mixed reviews after much hype. The band have matured in this second outing, with help from Portishead’s Geoff Barrow as producer, with a richer and frankly less scary album than their first offering.

With Ian Curtis like vocals, Faris Badwan was confident yet creepy and the crowd loved him. I just wish I could make out what he was singing about. Most of the lyrics melded into the complex layered sound coming from echoey guitars and 80’s style synth (at times sounding like a slightly manic surreal 1980’s merry-go-round, which is no bad thing). These guys are definitely an intelligent bunch. Sea Within a Sea was particularly interesting, with quick machine-gun like jagged guitar hooks clashing with ethereal synth and melancholic vocals, and the more lively almost trance-rockThree Decades inducing more activity in the crowd. My only complaint is that their sound does seem to emulate Joy Division, perhaps with a lot of reverence, but not as much soul. After all, these guys are from naughties London, not 1970’s Manchester, but this comparison is not really fair, considering the originality these guys are capable of.

Their set was over quickly, but the scenesters were pleased with what they saw and heard and they’ve got another chance to catch these art rockers at the Dome on the 16th. Their dark alienated sound worked well in a venue like the Concord 2, whether a less intimate atmosphere will work so well is another story. At least you’ll be able to see over the haircuts if you’re in the circle.

Photos : Matthew Hodson – www.bitbin.co.uk
Words : Lewis Merdler