REVIEW: HOWLER AT BRISTOL LOUISIANA (23/01/12)
NME’s latest band crush Howler are the headlining act tonight at Bristol’s Louisiana. Having had their ego’s massaged by the British press, it’s no surprise that tonight’s tiny room is jam packed full of sixth-formers, inquisitive older chaps and plenty of local media types.
Support tonight comes from solo act Man Made. 19-year-old Nile Marr dons a gold sequin blazer, complete with floppy hair and skinny black jeans. Offering up some really quite good songs such as ‘Slow Dance,’ ‘Do Your Worst,’ and the not so chirpy ‘Happiness’. Marr’s song-writing talents shine through, with the help of cleverly placed looping and a Fender Mustang. His modesty is apparent as he constantly reassures the crowd he’ll be leaving the stage soon enough. He needn’t worry however, as he keeps the audience’s attention intact throughout the entirety of his performance.
After some technical hitches, Howler clamber through the tightly-packed crowd, whisky to hand and hoods up. Launching into ‘America,’ the sound guy notches up the levels to 11, as the drums and bass viciously vibrate the entire room. Singer Jordan Gatesmith oozes arrogance from the get go, making small talk with the audience, complete with high-school humour and a Liam Gallagher swagger. The band then embarks on two more tracks from their Rough Trade debut ‘America Give Up.’ ‘For All Concern’ and ‘Beach Sluts’ showcase the band’s raw energy, with their battered punk rock influences and Gatesmith’s growling vocals.
Howler then steam ahead with the rest of the album’s track listing, only stopping to suggest a Bristol orgy and giggling about how wasted they all are. ‘Wailing (making out)’ is a particular highlight, as each member jolts to its addictive tones reminiscent of early Strokes material. The band then switch it up, with Max Petrek moving from keyboard to bass, France Camp from bass to guitar and Gatesmith from guitar to just vocals.
They finish off with single ‘Back of Your Neck,’ encouraging the younger audience members to flail their arms excitedly and bash their heads around a bit. Once it’s over, the worst encore attempt proceeds and the band complete the show with ‘Black Lagoon.’ Whether the guys simply wanted to get off stage (thanks to their jet lag) they gave it their all in this one, bashing their instruments to oblivion and finishing off with a suspiciously sarcastic thank-you.
All-in-all, Howler have some great tunes, however, their immature antics and unjustified arrogance put a downer on the whole performance – which is a real shame.
Words: Sammy Maine
Photo: Laura Palmer
