by Andrew Trendell | Photos by Richard Gray
10 photos of Bop English live at Oslo, Hackney
The White Denim frontman hits London
4 June, 2015: Bop English hit Oslo in Hackney, London for a stirring performance. Check out our photos from the show here.
White Denim frontman James Petralli, aka Bop English, promised heavy impro on his first solo date in the UK and was true to his word, each song culminating in an extended jam of searing noise.
In the tradition of Wire, who frequently re-name themselves and re-issue old songs, there’s a contemporary vogue for undertaking individual ventures, but essentially reassembling the same playing cast. And so too Bop English, whose name melds Petralli’s love of jazz and his major at college. Keyboardist, Kevin Schneider, sat amongst the guitar and drum combo, like an errant son put there to do his homework.
Though from Texas, there’s a West Coast free spiritedness to their work that moves through power folk shuffle, T Rex boogie, and a full-throttle riff on Arthur Lee’s Love.
Bands have always borrowed and sampled from the musical spectrum. In weaker outfits this can seem like an identity crisis, reducing the output to a game of spot the genre. Bop English, who don’t bother to look anything other than US college grads, segue between styles with ease and transcend this pitfall to post a distinctive edge.
The set’s second half featured new material that leans on mid-70s soul and the quack-quack of Eric Clapton’s Cream. It culminated in a riotous punk encore, with Kevin reprieved and handed the mic, to a delirious audience kickback. A raucous, life affirming night.