poppedmusic

Otherkin

Arts Club, Liverpool 2017

Words: Gary Lambert

Photos: Tom Adam

Taking advantage of the offer to play a Liverpool tour date to utilise the last of their three week trip to the UK, Dublin’s Otherkin played a support slot on a local-focused bill. When the vast majority of the large audience seemed to be there to show support to bands they have become friendly with, it would have been understandable if the guys from Otherkin had decided that the tour was finished so let’s take things easy like Fred Flinstone sliding down the dinosaur.

Instead Otherkin showed why they have rave reviews, support slots with the likes of The Amazons, and sell packed out houses much bigger than this on the strength of their own name back in Dublin. From speaking to the band earlier in the day, I was under the impression that they view themselves as a garage band. What I saw in the Loft at Arts Club was a four piece who like to thrash and make good rock tunes, but it is also a band who want to inspire people with their live show. I don’t mean that in a Chris Martin “I hope you’re feeling inspired to adopt a penguin for charity” kind of inspiration, but Otherkin through their frontman Luke make you feel inspired to enjoy yourself.

Whilst the thirty minutes they performed for was so enticing towards the future of their music (I cannot wait to have their album to play loud), it was the showmanship which left everybody feeling that Otherkin want to make sure that you enjoy yourself. As Luke climbed the barrier to sing in the audience, a move we’ve seen countless times, he demanded attention and for everybody to sit on the floor as he sung and prepped them for an unholy moshpitting. When the boom kicked in and the crowd sprung up, seeing the singer do his job of getting the words out whilst simultaneously coercing shyer members of the ground to throw themselves around with abandon was great. You could see it in the beaming faces of them as he went back to his team mates.

The sound of Otherkin is influenced heavily by, for me, the early years of The Strokes. But instead of cool, seductive grit and fuzz, these guys want to have a party, and with tracks like Ay Ay and most recently single, Bad Advice, you are going to get an invite to join in the party whenever they get to play for you.

You’re going to see them this summer at festivals – although we don’t know where yet – and when you do you are going to have a lot of fun whether you want to or not. They might make you mosh with them if you don’t.

Watch the video for Bad Advice here: