With a talent for being the opposite of perfectionists, Wunderhorse are perhaps indie’s best kept secret. One of this year’s most talked about bands – and there’s no questioning why after seeing them live – please welcome…
WUNDERHORSE
With the majority of the crowd composed of post-millennium, Dr Martens clad, nostalgia revivalists, we can guarantee most of them often wished they were teenagers of a different decade. Knowing you’ll never experience the likes of Elliott Smith and Nirvana in a live setting is a difficult reality to grapple with, yet for all those crammed onto the Rock City floorboards tonight, it could easily be 1993. There’s a distinct feeling in the air that we’re witnessing a special gig of our time – if the sold-out show hysteria is anything to go by.
Encapsulating the tormented seediness of the nineties, Melbourne trio HighSchool don’t coast on the nostalgia that their songs prompt, but rather explore the all-enveloping longing they ignite. Channeling the desolation that they sing about, the group rumbles along with a restlessness of wanting more. The crowd clearly agrees, phones recording every little snippet; standout singles De Facto and Frosting seem to particularly comfort us within the darkness.
Chances are you’ve never heard of Wunderhorse. A band with a tendency to shun celebrity status or pretension, they embark onto the stage bursting into what feels like an impromptu prog rock jam session. Simply hollering “Midas!” frontman Jacob Slater haphazardly begins an 80-minute set of spectral intensity. The title track from their latest album is the bountiful blend between their older melodic style and their new heavier distorted characteristics; it’s got that rough edge noise. Butterflies similarly showcases punk undertones, its raw and untamed guitar style enhanced by the live setting.
“IF I BLOW MY VOICE OUT ON THE FIRST NIGHT OF TOUR, I’M BLAMING YOU GUYS!”
He says few words and there are seldom breaks between songs yet that hardly makes a difference. Roaring ruptures for Leader Of The Pack has the crowd finally bouncing from their stunned stupour, and Cathedrals is an orchestral congregation of drums and bass. Unifying, becoming wild at the same moment the guitar does; the fierce and strident atmosphere continues with Arizona.
For a man who notoriously gives little away, the frontman breaks his façade as someone wryly yells a request for Billie Eilish’s Lunch. The band covered a tongue-in-cheek version on BBC Radio 1, yet Slater jokes that Billie told him she doesn’t like their version. It’s hard to imagine the subversive pop star disliking their cover – thankfully, the crowd disagrees.
A great sing-along chorus of Purple leaves the young crowd delighted and reflects that songs like this will soon be right at home in bigger venues across the country. The talkative and easy to follow lyrics were returned to the band with such vigour and passion that Slater can’t be heard at points. Somehow, someway the crowd ups the ante with the unmistakable guitar that opens Teal. Intricately instrumental, cohesive in its narrative of gloomy violence to extraordinary comfort, you can tangibly feel the emotion in the air. Streaming tears and screaming hearts reflects the powerful anthem that our encore of July becomes.
Wunderhorse are undeniably paving the way of a new wave of indie-rock. Their shows are one of those experiences you cannot feel by simply reading about it. Unless you’re part of that crowd yourself, the band are reminding fans why it is important for music to be heard live.
WUNDERHORSE PERFORMED THURSDAY 3RD OCTOBER
WORDS: TALIA ROBINSON
ROCK CITY NOTTINGHAM
We’re not only Nottingham’s favourite venue and nightclub – we’re the UK’s best live venue with a rich history of performers that have played here. And she dreamed purple and Wunderhorse and roses explodin’ in circles!
Also while you’re at it, why not check out our gig guide and see if any other of your favourite artists like Wunderhorse are playing soon! We also have our club nights on a Thursday (Tuned), Friday (Get Lucky) and Saturday (Rebel Rebel) so check those out too!
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