What was in fact a secondary venue choice – thanks to O2 Academy Brixton temporarily closing its doors – became the perfect home for Swedish post-punk band Viagra Boys. The grandiose hall with antique walls, high ceilings and a detailed decor finish provided a setting fit for band that tend to lean on jazz infusions within their otherwise heavy, punky sound.
A soft warm light glows from the back of the stage â cutting through a layer of smoke oozing its way around the set pieces and instruments, only stirring as the band members take to the stage. With their entrance comes a blinding, beating light, emitted from a large rectangle outlining the performance space; this choice was deceptively simple but with the use of well-timed and fluctuating patterns their incandescent set-piece was impactful and clean, a perfect accompaniment to the well thought out band.
Not pulling any punches they begin with âAinât No Thiefâ, a single from their most recent album âCave Worldâ. It uses layered guitar to achieve a rich and full sound that cascades around the hall with a whirring finish, slowly building to the crescendo of the chorus. This leads straight into âAinât Niceâ â the perfect concoction to set the crowd into motion. Their heavy riffs and electronic motifs are slick, the band a ravenous and well-oiled machine creating distinct walls of sound, ebbing and flowing with the crowd as if written to accommodate the live format.
After the opening songs frontman Sebastian Murphy and his accented drawl cuts through the crowd with rambling anecdotes. His twang is riddled with confidence as the group of professionals played a near perfect set behind him. The group’s technical ability is especially highlighted at the midpoint for instrumental âColdplayâ, a welcomed remission from the crowdâs carnage, as their saxophone player takes to the stage with a spotlight on him as he solos. This is something that sets the group apart; their continuation of experimentation, especially when it comes to their jazz influences. This is soon followed by another introspective and slow track âThe Cognitive Trade-Off Hypothesisâ, which is a hypnotic, slow paced tune that the crowd seems enthralled by.
To break into the final hurrah of the setlist is the hyper, lead track âTroglodyteâ which culminates to quick, sharp riffs met with momentary silence and then the delayed scream of âYou ainât no ape, youâre a Troglodyteâ which the crowd bellows back with the band. The beginnings of âSportsâ seemed to have the largest reaction from the crowd as the legacy track and its grungy guitar vibrates along the top of the audience. Murphy saunters to the railings to interact with the front row, giving each person their share of attention; his swagger seems so effortless, commanding the stage and not having to do much to keep the crowd on board.
Viagra Boys are at the peak of progressive post punk. Their elegance within the genre should not be mistaken for lack of a seething rawness to their sound. Simplicity is not ailment and Viagra Boys revel in a clear-cut direction that feels meticulous to onlookers.
JESS MCCARRICK