Princess Slayer / Oh So Quiet [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 8/11/13]
Opinion
As the first Musical Melting Pot Top 10 demonstrates, I’m a bit of a fan of Princess Slayer. Their first EP is stunning, and their live set – their first show ever, as part of the launch party for said EP – was, frankly, even better.
Support act Oh So Quiet were really great, if a slightly mismatched support choice for an EDM band like Princess Slayer. Their poppy folk-rock tunes were very cool, and performed with well-drilled precision and stylistic flair – but in this instance they were forced to contend with constant distracted chatting from the majority of their audience. Although it was a packed crowd, and there was plenty of applause forthcoming after each song, the overall vibe for me was similar to a dinner party with soft wallpaper music playing in the background. That’s fine if you’re actually at a dinner party, but (in my opinion, at least) if you’re going to pay money to see a band, and then stand around watching them, surely it makes sense to get your money’s worth and listen to them too? Treating a live band like dinner party wallpaper music is both disrespectful and insulting, and hopefully I’ll get the chance to see Oh So Quiet play for a more well-matched crowd in the future.
Princess Slayer had no worries about being drowned out by the crowd. Whereas Oh So Quiet were laid back and gentle, Princess Slayer were high-energy, in-your-face, and maintained their momentum for the duration of a seven-song set. If people were chatting during Princess Slayer’s set, there was no way to tell – Vince Welch’s drumming alone filled the room, with every kick and snare hit feeling like a pro boxer’s gut punch. Add heavy guitars, high-volume synths, and Casey Lim delivering a vocal performance that beat each track on the EP note-for-note, and the (mainly male) audience was left with little choice but to pay attention and, of course, move. It’s worth repeating: whereas many vocalists rely on “studio magic” to sound good on record, and then suck live, Casey Lim actually sounds better live. Casey and Vince have clearly put a ton of time and effort into perfecting their live chops, and the result is nothing short of amazing.
Overall, this was a great night marred slightly by a sadly stereotypical Friday night crowd. Oh So Quiet struggled to be heard, and while Princess Slayer correctly chose ‘attack’ as their best defensive option, even inspiring a mosh pit right at the end, some members of their crowd didn’t seem to appreciate the idea of live music either. A cover of Miley Cyrus’ hit Wrecking Ball saw more girls getting involved, but for the most part Princess Slayer’s set was a testosterone-soaked sausage fest crammed with guys who seemed more interested in the pretty girl singing than the music. To put it bluntly, I’ve never seen so many guys with what I would charitably describe as ‘rapey eyes’, and a mid-set speech explaining the philosophical musings behind Princess Slayer’s EP was met with more than a few demands for their frontwoman to…shall we say…reveal herself.
Quick tip there, guys: there’s a strip bar in the town centre, it’s called The Lion’s Den, it’s next door to Casino, and if you still have trouble finding it then just look for the place with all the police cars and half-conscious slappers outside.
Kudos to Team Challisbury for having great taste in bands, Lydia and the Boileroom staff for the usual professional organisation, and Olly Dexter for some wicked sound.
Links
Princess Slayer on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrincessSlayerOfficial
Oh So Quiet on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ohsoquietmusic
The Boileroom on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theboileroom
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