poppedmusic

The Vryll Society

The Magnet Liverpool 29th September 2017

Words: Rebecca Worthington

After two successful runs, The Magnet was crammed on Friday for the grand finale of three Vryll Society residency shows courtesy of EVOL, reflecting the snowballing excitement towards the band ahead of their hotly anticipated debut album release. Each show has seen a stellar line-up of support from the finest Liverpool talent, and this was the turn of Rongorongo, Bribes and newcomers Peach Fuzz.

Kicking off the proceedings were Peach Fuzz, who captured the attention of Skeleton Coast Festival goers during the summer and managed to do the same again in this even more intimate venue. Their set was a psych-prog-shoegaze monster mash-up. An assortment of effects layered eccentric lead singer Nathaniel Cummings’ vocals into the distinctive, fuzzy guitars that play true to the band’s name. Halfway through the set the band was plunged into smoke over the familiar magnet red and purple lighting for set standout Molten Polyrock. The band’s onstage energy swelled as the songs turned progressively darker and rockier before set finisher, Monsters on the Rise. Having only played a handful of gigs, Peach Fuzz are already making powerful vibrations set to thrust their hype into overdrive.

Bribes had a hard act to follow, but the energetic trio delivered a solid set of blues rock n’ roll. Debut single She Sings Blues garnered a strong reaction from the crowd; genre-wise however, they did seem a little out of place on this particular line-up.

Main support came from the superb, Rongorongo or as they introduced themselves, Gloria Estafan and the Miami Sound Machine. There is no frontman quite like Mick Chrysalid with his quirky, spontaneous dance moves, which dramatise the band’s overall melancholy performance. “It gets bleaker from here; if you don’t smoke then now’s the time to start” he warned the crowd. But tracks such as Faster, with its Talking Heads bassline, kept the crowd fully engrossed and the sinister eight-minute masterpiece, Slice of Heart, completely took over the venue. We took heed of the final warning to avoid the Donald Trump ‘Pink Eccys’. A captivating and soul-saving performance.

The Vryll Society confidently took to the stage in front of the largest audience seen of the three shows. Their fifty-minute set featured two album tracks – the new trip-hop tune, Soft Glue, and The Earth – as well as two dreamy, never-before-heard creations, Light at the Edge of The World and Course of the Satellite, which showcased Michael Ellis’ deep-blue falsetto.

Alongside the complex, guitar-driven melodies of Beautiful Faces, the later, more poppy singles, Shadow of a Wave, and Perfect Rhythm have become firm crowd favourites. These catchy, emotive love songs will also feature on the upcoming album. Frontman Ellis’ evocative dancing blended the manic movements of Ian Curtis, the Madchester madness of Ian Brown, and the emancipating grooves of Mick Jagger. The ever-enchanting Deep Blue Skies concluded the show, evolving into an upbeat, groovy, extended outro that left the crowd energized and raring for more.

The band is currently in the process of recording their album in Parr Street Studios, produced and engineered by Joe Fearon and Tom Longworth. It is due for release in January 2018 on Deltasonic Records.