A Feisty Performance
The Sounds gather quite a crowd for so early on in the day at the O2 Wireless Main Stage, their blend of 80s electro pop, delivered by cool Debbie Harry look-alike Maja is bound to add a real buzz to any festival.
They open with the insistent, 'Painted By Numbers' as blonde bombshell Maja struts around the stage looking like an 80's glam rock star and delivering forceful icey vocals, she works the crowd easily, although guitarist Felix is later the one to get the crowd clapping away before the funky and vivacious, 'Hit Me!'
'Living In America' sees flashing lighting accenting the sparkling, fizzy keyboard riffs while Maja manages some mid-air splits, proving what a sensational performer she is, or perhaps the diet of musicians she grew up to. 'Much Too Long Now' is the perfect retro melody with bubbling synths and sweet vocal harmonies giving rise to a little on stage electricity between the feisty frontwoman and guitarist Felix as they share the mic almost lip to lip for the chorus harmonies. Synth-meister Jesper Anderberg forms part of another racy routine as he adds vocals to, 'Don't Want To Hurt You'.
Tunes like, 'Tony The Beat' can't help but empower the audience to get grooving - at least at the front of the crowd - there are even a few more rock tunes that rely more heavily on guitars than the band's characteristic futuristic synth sounds.
It's great to see bands really giving it their all at festivals, despite the short slots and often indifferent crowd and The Sounds do just this with a real blast of theatrics in the closer, 'Ego' as Maja steps easily onto the drum podium before leaving her, "beautiful boys" to drum us out as the guitarist and synth player thunder away on drum pads at the front of the stage, augmenting the kick of the real kit. Let's hope that the Swedish group don't stay away from the UK too long!