Having checked out King Charles prior to his gig at The Haunt, we weren’t expecting much. Despite acclaim from Radio 1’s Huw Stephens, Zane Lowe and 6 Music’s Lauren Laverne, we got the impression he was somewhat arrogant and eccentric for eccentricity’s sake. Well, we were wrong.
Within the first five minutes of King Charles’ set, two things struck us. Firstly, his sound is far funkier, rockier and harder than on record. Secondly, he’s not wearing the ridiculous attire he puts on for press shots. Admittedly, how a musician dresses shouldn’t really matter, but it does here: dressing causal rather than regal makes Charles instantly more accessible.
With our preconceptions out of the way, we begin to see how his presence gives the audience an energy that could sway most doubters. It’s not the sort of energy that sends fans bouncing off the walls, but it does seem to enthrall and make us smile. Everyone is content: pleasantly aware of his aura but not choking on it.
We expected a wholesome folky set – he is best buds with Mumford & Sons after all – twanging, twinkling and cheerful, but there’s also clear aggression in his sound with angry punk riffs and metal-esque drum breaks. This is juxtaposed against bouncy sunshine moments, which share a British beach breeze that’s bizarrely more akin to Metronomy’s ‘English Riviera’ than previous tour-mates Noah And The Whale.
His music has a grunge mentality – but less whiney, far tighter and with more attention to detail. Picking away at his guitar effortlessly, Charles clearly finds music intuitive and even when it feels like he’s showing off it comes across as endearing.
Proclaiming it a “rebellion against death,” Charles debuts a new song far removed from anything he’s done before. The guitars trudge along like a Queens Of The Stone Age riff, whilst the filter on the bass is reminiscent of ‘Hysteria’ by Muse. It’s peculiar, but only because King Charles tries to maintain a “glam folk” artisan persona. But this is more like refined grunge meticulously crafted by Prince, if that’s even possible. It works.
Wrapping up with ‘Love Lust’ and ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’ Charles is working the room, pleasing the crowd and setting off a mass singalong. We’re left with the impression that King Charles, despite all his image and PR spin, is actually a great musician. Confident in his talent and aware of what his fans want. Consider us won over. And that’s not what we expected when we showed up.
Haunt, Wednesday 17th April 2013
Words by Teoh Lander-Boyce
