Screaming Females – The Luminaire, London – 27/10/10
4/5
By: Josh Daniel
Youthful New Jersey trio Screaming Females made a quick stop over at North London’s Luminaire on a brisk October eve. What first strikes is a breathlessness and urgency to their sound, and an unassuming, diminutive appearance that welcomes anyone who might assume punk rock displays too much affront to be friendly.
It’s clear they absolutely revel in what they do, booking dates and navigating tours themselves and setting up their own equipment on the way. This sense of self sufficiency infects the music, as bass-led jams, restrained and not so restrained interludes (the impressively ambivalent shredding from Marissa turning quite a few male heads), playful guitar lines and an ear for obtuse melodies peer into pop territory, showcasing a bandwho are DIY through and through. Marissa (singer/guitarist) has an attacking voice, but like a playful animal (with the potential to injure you) that merely wants your attention, she appears humble between the relative eruptions of music, her rhythm section’s dutiful performances pushing her abstract lyrics and alluring presence to front and centre.
“You can’t sleep with anyone and anyone’ll do” she sings, summarising a contradicted individual. By all accounts her lyrics’ true meanings remain hidden, but her bandmates must trust her, and for this we should be thankful. With nods to the carefree nature of The Thermals, Pixies’ stoicism, and a 3-way performance that jigsaws together perfectly, the Screaming Females experience (despite a typically reserved English crowd) is one not to be taken lightly.
As the economy struggles and arts funds are cut, some aspiring creatives could take a lot from Screaming Females’ free-spirited, hard working example. What they write they always record, and their live show is a microcosm of the consistent output of their LPs. Recent album Castle Talk should keep your body moving and your mind engaged in the winter months, and this dynamic, confident performance echoes the sentiment that if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing again and again and again…
Artists in this article: Screaming Females
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