This show shouldn’t be possible. Mallory Knox split five years ago, but suddenly reformed for this year’s Slam Dunk festivals. Now they’re on a very limited run of sold out dates to celebrate arguably their best album, ‘Asymmetry’, on its tenth birthday in their original lineup. It’s a treat for their fan base, who never lost hope of a return, and a timely reminder of what a top notch rock show should feel like.
First up though, it’s a second London appearance within a month for Call Me Amour. They open with ‘Happy Hell’, keeping their electro side encased in a layer of Rock, until ‘Chasing Bugs’ opens a crack to allow the dark synth to flood in and buoy us into an early evening jump around. They tap into our readiness, transmitting sparks underfoot that we release through slamming open hands. Mikey Chapman of Mallory Knox teases his later appearance, joining vocalist Harry Radford on ‘Good Day’. He flings himself around, a full body effort that’s fully appreciated. “He’s a beautiful soul, the kindest person ever, with the voice of a fuckin angel!” Radford exclaims. ‘Bloom’ hits like lightning in a rainstorm as he runs to the side steps to lean over us, closing on a dimly murmured title. Call Me Amour’s set passes too quickly, and closer ‘Girl On The Wall’ could almost count as a showcase on its own as they sling electro into swirls of messy harmonics and bass pulses as they smack DnB into the bridge.
Never let it be said that Mallory Knox don’t have a sense of humour, and coming onstage to Taylor Swifts’s ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ is the right tone for their return. “It’s so fuckin good to be back… it feels weird saying that!” Chapman exclaims, and he’s right. It’s so strange and familiar at the same time to hear him at his finest again.‘Ghost in the Mirror’ is a dark burst of more than nostalgia. Unbowed by a decade, there’s a renewed, thoughtful tone in the guitar that you wouldn’t expect with how hard this song slams live. “It’s been a long fuckin time, London,” says Chapman to introduce ‘Getaway’, and in the crowd a girl with pink hair blinks back tears as their warmth cushions the song’s bubblegum desperation. It’s so easy to clip our own meaning to each song, but with the way he roars the chorus to ‘Dying To Survive’, it’s clear that this set means as much to the band as it does to us. As they get stronger with every song, ‘Beggars’ sparks a huge singalong, alternating between moods rapidly as sinister steps spring into bounding choruses. There’s an eagerness in the air, a desire to soak it all in and embrace every second of their stacked vocal moments.
There’s a sense of communal history in every part of Mallory Knox’s set. An easy majority of the crowd were at ‘Asymmetry’s launch ten years ago, and any mention of the band’s history produces a sincere emotional vibration. “In 2009 we started this band,” the vocalist explains before ‘Heart & Desire’s delicate guitar notes fall like tiny stars, “we wrote some tunes for ourselves, and the rest is history. If you had told me, even a year or two ago, that I’d be standing here singing in front of you fine people, I’d have called you crazy.” What lights this show up is us; our joy, our willingness to throw ourselves into making the most of every second Mallory Knox are onstage. ‘Oceans’ fills us with satisfaction at the sensation of being pricked by their lonely chords once again as Chapman extends his vocals to inflate the empty space, before ‘Dare You’ flows slow and strong, a river that can’t be dammed, tapping into a beautiful, hopeful tone.
If you place your hand at the top of your field of vision to block out the ceiling and focus on the stage, you could fool yourself into believing you were still enjoying a festival summer. That’s how light the atmosphere is as Mallory Knox move into a tender encore. Only neon red initials light their return onstage for ‘She Took Him To The Lake’, a song which contains multitudes and means so much to so many. They’ve added a layer of righteous stomp to ‘Better Off Without You’, which starts a bounce that’s right back to the bar. Mates grab each other and jump, their shouts turning to screams of delight as ‘Lighthouse’ begins. Just existing in this moment is fuel for us as we shout and mine and make the absolute most of every second.
Interviews with the band suggest that it’s too soon to say that Mallory Knox are back for good. This tour might just have been a quick trip to reminisce and celebrate a brilliant album. However, if this was testing the waters for a proper return, then this show should serve as the perfect evidence that Mallory Knox can and should make their reformation permanent.
KATE ALLVEY