More about: Chvrches

I was going to make a pun about Chvrches taking us to church this evening, but no, instead they had everyone trekking to the arse end of North London. Cue a crowd of 10,000 boarding a Great Northern train some Thursday evening to the depths of Alexandra Palace for a night of piercing synth courtesy of three Scottish humans. The things we do for love.

Dressed like a sunflower, frontwoman Lauren Mayberry springs round companions Iain Cook and Martin Doherty for opener ‘Get Out’, an in-your-face, pint-in-the-air number that sets the tone for our evening with the trio.

“The last time I was in London was the drunkest I’ve ever been,” she confesses to the thousands. Mentioning that laying in the foetal position, one hand clutching onto a sausage roll and the other squeezing a Lucozade Sport remains her favourite pastime. “I love Lucozade Sport because they come with a sports cap, though no sports happened that day… or many days after.” Probably the strangest introduction to a ballad ever, ‘Really Gone’ goes out to the many hangovers that will occur tomorrow morning and Lauren’s all for it.

Blitzing between classic Chvrches with ‘Gun’ and ‘We Sink’ to the newer and equally as ace stuff ‘Graffiti’ and ‘Deliverance’, let it be known that this is their strongest set to date. 18 brawny numbers broken down by intervals of Lauren embarrassing herself and fellow bandmates, where at points the night felt like an endearing stand-up routine when in reality they’re oblivious to the jokes they’re cracking.

At the mid-point of the set Martin takes centre stage for ‘God’s Plan’ and fan-favourite ‘Under The Tide’. For non-stans that’ve come along for a night out this is the section of the show where they’ll realise that Chvrches aren’t Lauren Mayberry and co. but a collective.

Every time I see Chvrches there’s growth in their performance, whether that’s just Lauren’s platform boots getting higher every tour I couldn’t tell you. The three have never looked so confident beside each other, returning to a stage they played four years prior, where if we compare the two nights you’d think these were two separate acts.

Plus catch this, a Chvrches set that doesn’t end with ‘The Mother We Share’? They’re shaking the table in 2019 lads. ‘Never Say Die’ ends the show and not even I – a Chvrches day one –expected this to be the closer but you know what? It works. “Love Is Dead” the band claim, and I put my hand up to disagree. Love was certainly not dead in Ally Pally tonight, and I doubt it ever will be. To the dad beside me filming ‘Recover’ and admitting this is his first time getting his phone out at a gig and that it was for his 12-year-old daughter – that’s love, and it’s thriving.

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More about: Chvrches