For close to a decade Crows have been grafting. Despite holding down full time jobs, the London four piece are three albums in, have toured countless times as well as sharing stages with IDLES, Wolf Alice and Soft Play, some of the biggest acts in the alternative rock scene. They’ve paid their dues and tonight are going to give the hundreds in attendance in the capital everything they’ve got.
As you navigate the crossroads coming out of Shoreditch High Street, before you see the venue itself, you may catch the Graffiti-splashed tube carriages that sit atop the venue’s roof. Set in a renovated Victorian coal warehouse, Village Underground is one of the last few remaining independent venues in East London and often play host to a diverse set of exciting artists, often on the cusp of something special. Tonight is no exception.
Crows @ Village underground
Before Crows is a another London based punk rock; Beige Banquet who power through an energetic 30 minute set. What started as the solo project of singer-guitarist Tom Brierley, the band has expanded into a five piece with an additional guitarist, bass, drummer and percussionist. Their set largely consisted of tracks of their 2024 album Ornamental Hermit including, Animals, People and Paraitic Energy all of which contain staccato guitar and cacophonous percussion. It’s a captivating and some of the long instrumental breaks become quite trance like.
They start with the title track and opener from their most recent album, Reason Enough. It’s a slow burning start as the opening two verses are sung over an alluring Jith Amarasinghe bass and a measured rhythmic drum beat. A fine way to seduce the audience, it’s a dark and broody song which as singer James Cox sing’s “I couldn’t change, the person I was, the person you saw was someone you thought you needed to need.”
The in-your-face Bored follows and is 2 and a half minutes of pure adrenaline. It’s an example of the sharper sound that can be heard on their third studio album, which was released in September 2024. It was written in a former Catholic church and convent in Stroud, Gloucestershire where the band set up in the crypt in hope of inspiration from the divine. “We’re doing the same thing but a lot better” James said of this latest record. “This is Crows in High Definition.” That in part is due to the production and mixing of the Mercury Prize nominated Andy Savours. Savours, who has worked with the likes of Black Country, New Road, My Bloody Valentine and Rina Sawayama among others, is in the audience down the front as the frontman thanks him for everything he’s done for them.
My spot on a slightly raised platform towards the back of the room allows me to see the raucous crowd as the singer jumps down from the front of the stage straight into the crowd. They perform the whole of Demeanour, from their debut album Silver Tongues with him in the pit, whipping up a frenzy of unabashed passion. Wednesday’s Child follows from the same 2019 record and you can see; or rather hear, how much the band have grown over the 5 years since their first album. Yes their instrumentation and energy is consistent but their latest release has a cleaner, more polished sound. It’s more melodic than its predecessors, adding depth to the sound.
Land Of The Rose a song referencing the traditional English rose with energy a song born out of frustrations in the ongoing heavy news cycle that is seemingly never ending. Cox looks possessed, his eyes so focused even banging the microphone against his head. Leaving everything on the stage. Questioning national identity is something that’s come up before and is on show later in the set with Garden Of England from 2022.
Whilst there isn’t much interaction between the band, frontman James does thank the crew, sound, engineers and the support. They are happy to let their music do the talking.
They feel more comfortable and self-assured as the gig goes on. Continuing with a foray into Beware Believers with Slowly Separate and Healing – the latter of which has an enticing intro that leads to a strident crescendo with Sam Lister on drums driving the whole band forward. It’s not just sonically that Crows succeed but lyrically they excel, an example from Room 156 with the remarkable repeated lyric “Broken things let the light in” Despite our flaws and hard times we may go through, there is always hope.
“We’ve got three more songs, we’re going to play back to back and we’re not going to do an encore.” A refreshing honesty that allowed us to not have to worry about the will they want they dance at the end of the night. Closer Still, the opener to their second album followed by a very early Crow’s release; Itch. They end on the anthemic Is it Better? closing out an enthralling 60 minutes of live rock music by a band who are expanding their sound and are comfortable where they are headed.
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Crows @ Village underground (Daniel Quesada)
Live review of Crows @ Village Undergound, London by Chris Lambert on 15th October 2024. Photos by Daniel Quesada.
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