Afghan Whigs @ Koko, London - 04/02/2015

After splitting in 2001, The Afghan Whigs had finally returned to previous label Sub Pop Records to release 2014’s Do to the Beast. 16 years. Just the right length of time for a young man to find himself, or an older Greg Dulli to yield plentiful ammunition to return to the spotlight of alt rock all guns blazing.

And last night, at the second performance of their European tour, the band did exactly that. A gentle trickle of violin strings opened into the newly released album’s introductory track ‘Parked Outside’ with countering heavy attitude, rolling into a seamless ‘Matamoros’ in an immediate show of fresh material.

Elements of soul and rock shine through Dulli’s gruff voice in dark satire as the words of a wounded young frontman reiterate a howl of morbid suffering from the 90s. The gritty lyrical content does all but overshadow Dulli’s wit. A short interlude to tune guitars and the like, and teasing the crowd to a ‘lounge version’ of ‘Miles Iz Ded’, an inaudible assortment of words escaped the mouth a crowd member in typical mumbling British fashion. "I didn’t understand that at all. Two countries, separated by a common language", as they pushed forward into ‘Algiers’.

Contrasting throughout the set came the colours of many different styles that the band have dabbled in, from highly folksy, westernised timbre to early 90s irreverent ‘Gentlemen’ which echoes their maturing as a band over the last 20 years and musical capability. And what would The Afghan Whigs be without a cover amidst their own creations?

The Afghan Whigs closed the set in an ode to decades past, embracing their pinnacle years. All but one member arrived back on stage to cover The Police’s ‘Everything She Does is Magic’ whilst Dulli wandered throughout the crowd, before returning to the stage and flowing into Bobby Womack’s ‘110th St.’

The Afghan Whigs will continue with their European tour on Friday 6th February to perform at the Magdalena Zaal in Bruges, Belgium.