Hyde & Beast at The Social, London.
I had always wondered what it might have felt like to be a pensive boozer in the late 1960s. One roasting hot evening in the tiny nook known as The Social in London, Hyde & Beast let me get a very strong impression of what it might have been like. The evening would feel like a step back to an era that swelled with rich rhythms, moody blues and whisky induced sweats.
This was the duo's first date in the capital, and they were joined by a band of four on a stage that looked like it could have been donated by The Borrowers. The venue was small, the set was short, but the sound was as tight as the space. If you are yet to acquaint yourself, this pairing consists of The Futureheads' Dave Hyde and The Golden Virgins' Neil 'Beast' Bassett- and having two drummers in one band meant that this was always going to be an interesting venture. The gig showcased some cracking tunes from their debut album, 'Slow Down', and the live performance really brought the record to life.
A rich psych-rock sound is peppered with the rumbling pulse of chunky bass lines and some really gorgeous vocal harmonies. In fact, I came to realise about halfway through the set that the stylised vocals and 'ooh-ooh'-ing almost became quite arbitrary and stood more for their instrumental value than anything else. A stripped down acappella breakdown at the end of the performance of latest single 'Never Come Back' demonstrated this, as well as giving a little flash of Heads-esque influence. But for me, the set's highlight came from the jolly little interlude of 'You Will Be Lonely'. With a beat that inspired at least a little bit of head bobbing from everyone in The Social that night, the country twang and summery edge so cheerfully built up stood out somewhat amongst the broodiness of the night's proceedings.
There will be plenty of comparisons drawn to The Beatles and Marc Bolan no doubt, the warm haziness of every note reviving that lo fi vibe in a brilliantly fresh way. There is definitely a unique approach to the Hyde & Beast method, which is understandable as a guitar has been picked up and played as a drummer would. Not with sticks, obviously, but in using irregular rhythms and beat which build up a really intriguing sound. Dave Hyde might still be getting used to his central spotlight though- he's hardly a graduate from the Freddie Mercury school of showmanship. A hurriedly mumbled sentence to his crowd is more his thing, but it suits their music just fine. Rich, atmospheric and very warm, it was a memorable London debut for the boys from Sunderland.