Photo: Press
It's mid-June and you can finally feel the summer. One of the hottest days of the year so far hits London and you can't help but notice the weird coincidence with the arrival of Jagwar Ma. XOYO tonight hosts a sweaty celebration of sweet sunshine sounds as Shoreditch is transported to the other side of the equator.
Playing 'Man I Need' so early in the set is a brave mood, but luckily the song of the summer marks only the beginning of a pretty relentlessly flawless rush of endorphins. From the Beach Boys-esque 1960's peace & love of 'Come And Save Me' to the motorik psych robot punch of 'Four', Jagwar Ma paint the walls with a wide and varied pallette of pop before 'The Throw' evolves into an unstoppable but highly evolved beast.
They've got the tight-knit syncopated pummel of The Longcut met with the cross-generational wild child spirit of The Vines. And yeah, The Stone Roses comparisons are easy to recognise; the duo have a free and danceable baggy vibe that coolingly flows and rolls over the audience, as the movement shifts from trance to rave and everywhere in between.
They're clearly humbled by the love on display, and the admiration is reciprocated in kind. The sheer abandon both for and from these awesome Australians shows that they've arrived and makes it feel like they truly belong. Jagwar Ma in England - both home and away.
If tonight's utter triumph was anything to go by, it's only a matter of time until they conquer the hearts and ears of the rest of the world. Up the 'Ma.
Miss them at Glastonbury at your peril.
