Chicago – When was the last time you attended a show that left emotionally wrenched? In a good way, of course… For me, it was last Thursday night, when U.K. post-punk band Savages unleashed one of the most powerful performances I’ve ever seen. The ladies of Savages – Gemma Thompson (guitar), Ayse Hassan (bass), Fay Milton (drums), and Camille Berthomier, better known as Jehnny Beth (vocals) – put on a riveting show, at the sold-out Metro, filled with spectacular drumming, impressive shredding, fervent vocals, and an impressive amount of crowdsurfing. It’s no wonder they call themselves Savages!

Once the dance music – which made it seem like we were all at a pretty lame rave since the majority of the crowd wasn’t dancing – turned off and the lights dimmed, a stinging anticipation kicked in. It intensified as time dragged on. It seemed like ages, but in reality, it had to have been no more than a few minutes from the time silence fell until finally screams met the four women of Savages, as they walked out on stage, all dressed in black, with the exception being Thompson, who stood out in a white, silk blouse, as if to were represent good versus evil or right versus wrong, but once the four got going, their movements made for several shades of gray, better representing the stickiness that is life and love.

The night started out with the oldie “I Am Here,” off the London band’s 2013 debut LP Silence Yourself. Despite being on tour in support of sophomore LP Adore Life (Matador Records), Savages played a decent amount of older songs, including “She Will,” “Hit Me,” and “Husbands,” the latter of which showed off Gemma Thompson’s brilliant guitar playing. Of course the band played new material from Adore Life, such as the moody single “Adore,” which features a brooding 60s feel and beautifully showcases Jehnny Beth’s French accent.

In a review of Adore Life, Best New Bands’ Matt Matasci wrote, “Savages are that rare band that can simultaneously be subtle and obvious in their message, and ability to balance extremes is once again perfected on their sophomore studio album Adore Life.” Songs like “T.I.W.Y.G.” and “Evil” showcased that well. Ayse Hassan’s bass in “Evil” left me feeling like my heart might jump out of my chest. From high in the balcony, her chords pulsated through me, romancing me.

I found myself simply captivated by Fay Milton. She’s a boss on drums! But perhaps the best part of the night was watching Jehnny Beth interact with fans. Throughout the night, she gave fans her signature deep stares, her eyes like daggers chiseling away at your soul. She continually jumped off the stage, to walk through the pit, climbing the barrier, at times walking it like a balance beam, and other times leaning into the crowd, thrashing around, banging her head, with her slicked back, jet-black bobbed hair coming loose, waving wildly. Fans banged their heads right back at her.

When she walked the crowd, like a modern Jesus walking on water, a sea of hands supported her, while adoring faces looked on in mix of excitement and awe. She stopped occasionally to point at fans, sing to them, and dance above their heads. Arms clawed at her, like subjects attempting to touch their holy queen. Several times she surfed the crowd, not missing a note, with her microphone in hand, the chord inching along with her, with help from fans. She was magnificent!

Savages did not disappoint. GO SEE SAVAGES LIVE! Yes, I’m yelling at you in caps because this is an order. You can thank me later.

The savage ladies of Savages are on tour now. The band will be playing numerous festivals, including Coachella, Shaky Knees, Sasquatch!, and Pitchfork. A full list of dates scan be found on the Savages website. Adore Life is available on iTunes now.

Photos of Savages by Sarah Hess for Best New Bands.

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Sarah Hess

At the age of six, Sarah Hess discovered True Blue by Madonna. This resulted in her spending hours in front of the bathroom mirror with a hairbrush microphone, belting out "La Isla Bonita" off key. Her love for music only intensified over the years thanks to her parents; her mother exposed Sarah to The Jackson Five and had her hustling to the Bee Gees, while her father would play her albums like 'Pet Sounds' and 'Some Girls' from start to finish, during which he'd lecture on and on about the history of rock & roll. Sarah would eventually stumble upon rap and hip-hop, then punk and alternative, and fall madly in love with Jeff Buckley and film photography.

After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.


You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.

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