Photo: Sakura
"It’s so good to see you all. I would pay to watch you” declares Savages frontwoman Jehnny Beth as the band close in on a triumphant evening in North London. Ironically the performance of Beth alone is worth the entrance fee, as the all-female four-piece shine through the dark and murky image that shrouds the band.
The set is relentless from start to finish. Showcasing songs from their sublime Mercury nominated debut album Silence Yourself, Savages fill the Kentish Town forum with raw passion and an unrivalled intensity that encapsulates those in attendance. With Jehnny Beth strutting around the stage in her heels, the limelight she demands is fully justified as she gives the performance of a woman possessed.
Flitting effortlessly from the powerful, raucous opening of ‘I Am Here’ and ‘Shut Up’ to the soft sound of ‘Marshal Dear’ and the sweet cover of Suicide's 'Dream Baby Dream'" you just cannot keep your eyes off her.
Booming bass lines from Ayse Hasan, the thrashing guitar hooks from Gemma Thompson and the impressive flailing of drummer Fay Milton provide the perfect soundtrack, as all the wonderful individual elements of Savages come together for the highlight of the show ‘She Will’. Barely coming up for breath between songs, the set rolled powerfully into ‘No Face’, a track so full of angst it should come with a warning. With the flash light show matching the intensity of the band, the biggest cheer of the night came during the extended build up of penultimate track ‘Husbands.’
With Beth standing triumphantly on the barrier at the front of the crowd, the dark stares and cynical whispers of the front-woman harness all that post-punk of the 80’s in one fail swoop. Reservations were held as the band remained on stage after the triumphant ‘Husbands’ but these doubts were thwarted as Beth said "This song is called 'Fuckers…" The meaning of the song was explained brilliantly through expletives although the underlying lyric and message of the song. “Don’t let the fuckers get you down" was all that was needed. As the song headed towards a celebratory punk jam finale, it was the most fitting end to an exquisite evening.
