Porridge Radio played a duo of gigs at The Old Market in Brighton as part of their extended post-lockdown tour of the USA and UK (Europe is next) and gave energetic performances of their latest album to an enthusiastic hometown audience.
The two support acts were good choices and in keeping with the no wave ‘outsider rock’ that Porridge Radio have been studiously perfecting. Both adopted a similar five-piece set-up to the headliners, albeit with different instrumentation. The first, Morgan Noise, were our favourites of the two, with some lively brassy-pop elements filling out their angular and intense songs, and their bouncing lead singer Morgan bringing an excellent energy to proceedings. The second support, Alaskaalaska, were oddly atonal with more of a prog-pop take on no wave. Their best song was the title track to their recent ‘Still Life’ album.
Porridge Radio were also a five-piece tonight, with the addition of Maria Marzioli on violin. They ran through all of the songs from their latest album ‘Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To the Sky’ and half of its predecessor ‘Every Bad’, starting out with a storming version of the latter’s ‘Give Take’, with its passionate riffing of “I say what I need, and I want, want, want, want…” sparking the enthusiasm of the audience. After that their set never really slowed down.
The repetitious line from ‘Birthday Party’ of “I don’t want to be loved” seems to contrast with the pleasure lead Porridge singer Dana Margolin took from being in front of an enthusiastic Brighton full house. And they reached an initial crescendo in ‘U Can Be Happy If U Want To’ with the tension of the song mounting until Margolin leapt from the stage and careered through the audience.
Most bands might save that act of audience connection for a finale, but Porridge Radio aren’t like other bands and it came about half way through the set. Their next song was their classic ‘Lilac’, which is both edgy (“my body is so uncomfortable…” ) and beautifully uplifting. Its epic chorus is perfect for today, and had the audience singing along to…
“I don’t want to get bitter
I want us to get better
I want us to be kinder
To ourselves and to each other”
…with its powerful repetition for minutes at the end of the song acting like a mantra or prayer.
The next song ‘Long’ began with the line “You’re wasting my time…” which was ironic of course, as this powerful track, again with the classic Porridge Radio repetition for emphasis, created an energy that had the whole band and room bouncing. This was followed by another song from the outstanding ‘Waterslide’, ‘The Rip’, which captures Margolin’s genius with lyrics that seem at once mundane and simple, and at first obscure, but that build to a conclusion that feels both emotionally and intellectually profound. When she sings “I pulled it apart / Got sick of the whole thing…” it’s like you’re right there with her when her heart is breaking.
Then came the marvellous album opener ‘Back To The Radio’, which had the audience singing along from the off – “Lock all the windows and march up the stairs…” It’s a love song of sorts, but also a heart-breaking expose of a relationship that feels anguished, the singer expressing her inability to understand the other with obtuse but penetrating lines like:
“I’m trying to help without breaking or shattering
We almost got better, we’re so unprepared for this
Running straight at it
I’m not the right man for this…”
So much of Porridge Radio comes from lead singer Dana Margolin’s emotional lyrics and performance that it’s easy to overlook the other band members, but together they create an outstanding whole. Keyboardist Georgie Stott looked nervous on the left, but gave the performance a solid resolute structure with her importance in the band evidenced at the first encore, the title track from the new album, performed by her and Margolin alone.
Then the band returned for their final song ‘Sweet’, ostensibly about biting your nails and being given a gimmicky pen by your mum, but as usual with Porridge Radio it is about so much more. Bassist Maddie Ryall had been astounding throughout, and was again here for the finale, but the unsung hero might be drummer Sam Yardley, tucked away at the back, whose off-beat innovative drumming helps create the thrilling tension in the band’s offbeat sound, a counter to their lead singer’s razor-like guitar and vocals. The band were joined on this part of the tour by Maria Marzioli (from Brighton’s recently folded post-punk collective, Slum of Legs) whose superb violin playing complemented Porridge Radio’s perfectly controlled anarchy.
Porridge Radio played at The Old Market on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd November 2022
Words and photos by Jon Southcoasting from the Wednesday
