Roll up! Roll up! Image Parlour invite you to enter their rock circus, a spectacle of melodrama, cartwheeling riffs and real, scrumptious swagger. Simply after the clock strikes 12.30pm, Brighton’s Zahara membership descends into full darkness, whereas an unnerving fairground tune performs from the PA. The vitality within the room begins to crackle with feverish anticipation. You possibly can solely give up to the concept this seems like the beginning of one thing very particular.
Led by vocalist Katherine Parlour, the London-based four-piece are relishing the lore that has constructed up round their band over the previous few months. Having performed their first-ever stay present at The Windmill in Brixton final December – a mightily influential venue that has been pivotal to the careers of Disgrace, Goat Lady and Black Midi – the exhilarating musicianship that has come to outline Image Parlour’s gigs has resulted in bookings at festivals throughout the nation, and gained them a fan in Courtney Love. But on paper the band are but to formally launch a single piece of music.
“Wow, it’s busier right here than we anticipated,” says Parlour, ruffling her two-tone hair in gentle embarrassment. You possibly can say that once more. Beneath twinkling rainbow lights, the sardine-packed venue vibrates with the unmet demand for house, resorting to a one in, one out coverage. The sensation is bolstered by the band’s seesawing, evenly psychedelic songs, which develop in depth reasonably than walloping you within the face repeatedly. On ‘Judgement Day’, every yelped howl and spindly solo seems like one other spin on a wind-up toy that’s ready to be stirred to life.
A suave ringleader holding court docket in a major colored swimsuit, Parlour creeps alongside the stage, flitting between enjoying the jester as she gently pushes her bandmates, and looking out away from the viewers utterly. Her distinctive vocal timbre provides depth to ‘Gala Day’, a monitor that sizzles with the brooding, sinister sexuality of Arctic Monkeys’ ‘Humbug’ period, whereas the goosebumps come out for the ‘Sawmill Sinkhole’, a blast of uncooked feeling.
‘Norwegian Wooden’ – although not a Beatles cowl – is equally fascinating; “Undecided I do know my physique,” Parlour roars because the monitor progressively builds, the band working to stress the lyric earlier than guitarist Ella Risi rips right into a solo. It’s as in the event that they’ve crafted a complete track round that line in an effort to muster up the braveness to sing it – a genuinely transferring second.
Earlier than they end with ‘Moon Tonic’, stage chatter proves to be tough, as repeated expressions of gratitude are met with near-silence. Although, at this level, it wouldn’t be incorrect to counsel that the ambiance is solely awed.
Image Parlour performed:
‘Norwegian Wooden’
‘Gala Day’
‘Judgement Day’
‘Neptune’
‘Sawmill Sinkhole’
‘Ronnie’
‘Moon Tonic’