London and Seattle might have an unspoken agreement between the drizzly cities that when natives of the two cities meet, presumptions of shallow and surficial friendliness can be cast aside and everyone will know that they’re all having a good time and enjoying the fact that the other one exists without making any physical or verbal acknowledgment. When London-based outfit Savages played in Seattle at Neumos on Tuesday night, this agreement was fully honored.
Savages rock hard. Bassist Ayse Hassan rocks hard. Guitarist Gemma Thompson rocks hard. Drummer Faye Milton rocks hard and vocalist Jehnny Beth rock hard. Overall, Savages played very well and it was awesome to see such intensity brought to the stage, but the crowd’s reaction didn’t seem to match the potential that Savages’ music has in a live setting. They were still and pensive, rather than excitable and loose which maybe would have felt more appropriate. Enter that good old Seattle-London agreement.
Easily the most notably inspired song of the evening was a new song for the band, whose newness we only knew from a rare song introduction. Perhaps it was because the song was new for the group as well as for the audience, but there certainly seemed to be a marked change during this number. Where the set as a whole had a slight air of complacent consistency in terms of energy, masked by loud and therefore seemingly high energy, the new track brought a refreshing remix to the performance and one that the crowd finally reacted to.
The aesthetic of the band is also just totally mesmerizing. Set against Neumos’ red velvet curtain and blackened walls, Savages’ industrial look just fit very well and was further complemented by their pointedly noisy songs. Beth’s physical interaction with the other members of the group during times of vocal lulls was this sensual dynamic that only added to the group’s on-stage atmosphere.
No Bra opened for Savages and was true to her name. British and topless, No Bra played a mixed bag set of spoken work songs (although the words were terribly hard to understand) and low-octave monotonic drones. She stood alone, only accompanied by her computer, nearly motionless on the stage and while this seemed more like a recipe for a 1960s Haight-Ashbury performance art piece, managed to an unassuming and receptive crowd.
Savages and No Bra continue their United States tour down to Coachella before Savages head back over the Europe; you can check out their future tour dates here.