Drowners Borderline review

On the 20th of August New York's own American-Welsh 'indie rock' band Drowners performed - as the title suggests- at the Borderline in Soho. The band as mentioned is a combo of American and Welsh musicians, and although it seems odd that musicians from across the ocean would combine we praise the lord that they did as the mixture of the two creates exquisite indie goodness for our ears. Drowners' first EP 'Between Us Girls' appeared on the music scene early 2013, their first single 'Luv, Hold Me Down' shortly followed a year after in January 2014. As expected the band has acquired much hype both in the UK and USA. Due to the fact they are predominately based in New York it feels as though England has been lacking in Drowners goodness therefore this intimate gig was highly anticipated.

Brief Drowners' history over let's get to the gig. First things first the venue: having never been to the Borderline before I wasn't too sure what to expect, however I was pleasantly surprised. If, like me, you enjoy a venue that's so small you know the band can see your face, making you feel up close and personal with them, then this venue is for you. The Borderline comes equipped with not only the cosy stage in the corner but  a bar on the far side, so if you fancy a cheeky drink you have the opportunity to do so. The stage itself is small and tucked in the corner; it's decor of draping curtains gives it almost an epic karaoke bar feel, all it is lacking is the glitter from a disco ball.



Happyness
source-www.amazingradio.com

Despite the size of the venue we secured a good space in the corner that allowed enough space to dance and only a few people from the front. We were then greeted by the warm up act: the south London trio Happyness- and yes that's spelt with a 'Y'. Happyness have been described as part of the revival of classic 90's US rock and they sure do deliver. Their chilled stage presence along with jangly guitar sounds and clever lyrics combines to make not just an enjoyable show but one that somewhat echoes artists such as Weezer or Wilco or even Dinosaur Jr. Happyness are definitely worth seeing if you have the chance and we can certainly anticipate big things from/for them.

Drowners.

Shortly afterwards, Drowners' finally arrived on stage; simultaneously the sound of the crowd went from the mumble of casual chatter to the caterwaul of high pitch screaming- like a clip of the girls during a Beatles concert. Although, this reaction wasn't  too unexpected as the sight of lead singer Matt Hitt's face is enough to make any human swoon just a little. They kick off the show with track You've Got It All Wrong setting the tone for a loud and fast tempo filled evening. They perform the rest of the set-list with equal force throughout, performing crowd favourites such as Long Hair, Unzip Your Harrington and Ways To Phase a Rejection enabling a hearty sing-a-long and a good jig. All in all Drowners performed the entirety of their album, however pleasing this was the show only lasted under an hour making their London gig short but sweet.