THE WHIP
Brit-pop fever invaded New York City last week as two of the UK’s brightest young electro rock acts took the stage of The Bowery Ballroom both Wednesday and Friday night (coinciding with the much-awaited stateside opening of Topshop/Topman on Thursday – which The Whip also just so happened to deejay).
Opening for Nottingham’s Late of The Pier (who skyrocketed to prominence following a brief flirtation with former Dior Homme designer Hedi Slimane), Manchester four-piece The Whip had no difficulty stirring the growing crowd into a frenzy with their upbeat electronic symphony of tracks off their debut full-length, X Marks Destination (released this March via Razor & Tie).
THE WHIP, photo credit: Brooklyn Vegan
THE WHIP, Photo Credit: Brooklyn Vegan
Consisting of vocalist/guitarist Bruce Carter, co-songwriter/synth player Danny Saville, drummer Fiona Daniel and bassist Nathan Sudders, the band kept the energy alive and the crowd dancing like crazy throughout the set with their addictive tracks including the floor pounding anthem "Trash," the electro euphoria of "Sister Siam" and grinding instrumental funk of "Divebomb." After attracting the music industry's eyes and ears at SXSW and CMJ, The Whip are well on their way to becoming a well known name in the U.S.
LATE OF THE PIER
After the tedious 40 minute break between sets, Late of The Pier finally took the stage and proceeded to put on an incredible live performance of genre-defying material. With equal parts "new rave" dance rock, intergalactic electro synth, tribal jungle beat and god knows what else, Late of The Pier never ceased to keep the audience rocking. After haging over the balcony for most of the night, I've got the bruises on my elbows to prove it.
Consisting of vocalist Sam Eastgate, drummer Ross Dawson, bassist Andrew Phaley and electronic sampler player Sam Potter, the band's debut full-length, Fantasy Black Channel was already one of my favorite records of 2008 (re-released this January via Astralwerks), but I must admit they sound absolutely mind-blowing in live form. Eastgate's vocals were crystal clear, Dawson never missed a beat, and the band sounded very put together overall. In addition to hits like "Space And The Woods," "The Bears Are Coming," "Broken" and "Heartbeat," Late of The Pier unveiled several raw new tracks that the crowd really took to right away.
LATE OF THE PIER, Photo Credit: Brooklyn Vegan
LATE OF THE PIER, Photo Credit: Brooklyn Vegan
Great show from two great bands - keep on the lookout for more Late of The Pier and The Whip news in the future.
