Playing what they describe as “deliciously dirty indie dance-pop” Birmingham band Pleasure House performed their first official headline London show at The Garage, and it was clear that the audience were going to be treated to something special from the outset.
The two support acts for the evening were Sahara and Real Life Charm. The indie rock sounds of Sahara with songs like ‘Into the Blue’ were both soothing and filled with a magic energy which filtered through the room. Their cleverly crafted multi-layered songs were a joy to listen to live. Real Life Charm filled the stage and the numerous musicians created wonderful music. Using electronic beats to generate blankets of thick and luxurious sound, the funky dance beats and relaxing vocals came to a peak in their song ‘Desire’.
Pleasure House then took to the stage with ‘Feverclap’, and the crowd were instantly enveloped by the gloriously sunny sounds which the band produces. With songs like ‘Blow My Mind’ which are perfect for dancing to, experiencing the band live with the music so loud you could feel it in your bones was a really special experience. Frontman Alex Heffernan’s confident vocals flood the room and invite you to join in and it is very difficult not to surrender to their music.
Whilst playing a mix of their old and new songs, the band also covered a couple of classics, making them personal and unique in their own way. New bands can’t always pull off covering such well known songs without losing their own identity, but Pleasure House performed ‘Tainted Love’ so powerfully it was hard to believe it wasn’t written by them to perform specifically at that moment. The band took a break from their energetic performance to give Alex time to explain the meaning behind one of their newest songs ‘Cool’; the track was written about “that guy you know from school”, who never really grew out of thinking he was amazing and is still ridiculously annoying. It was great to hear the inspiration behind the song and feel involved with what was happening onstage.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH1t8MRBWTc]
Fusing strong bass lines, catchy guitar riffs and light yet energetic drumming, ‘Sunrise’ completed the magical set. As the current single, it is an incredible example of this band’s ability to write tracks which feel crammed full of summer days and joy. With a crescendo of audience participation to bring the evening to an end, we all departed with the song playing over and over in our minds.
Words by Lizzie Wood