REVIEW: Gengahr at Gorilla

Jess Watts | 29th April 2018

Off of the back of the release of their second album, London based band Gengahr, took to the stage of Manchester’s Gorilla for a spellbinding set.

 

Manchester is a city that the band have continually stopped at over the years on many of their tour circuits. Speaking to the band’s lead singer, Felix Bushe, before the show he mentioned that “manchester’s normally, if not, our favourite show, well it’s one of them for sure”.

 

Opening with the highly infectious Is This How You Love. The band set the scene for what was going to be an incredibly groovy set. From the get go Gengahr proved to be a band suited to live performances. The track had a rockier element provided by guitarist John Victor.

 

Felix Bushe’s falsetto vocals guided the crowd through tracks from their debut album, A Dream Outside. Tracks such as Heroine and Bathed In Light provided the classic dreamy pop sound that long-time fans will recall from previous shows.

 

During the track Before Sunrise, the crowd danced and jumped to the intricate guitar hook. The swirling guitar sequence on the track encompasses one of the band’s many talents when it comes to creating a catchy hook.

 

The set ended with the infamous She’s A Witch. From the first few notes the crowd erupted into the lines “maybe she’ll sink, maybe she’ll fly, I’ve got a witch that cries all the time”. This is the track that propelled Gengahr into the spotlight and one that the crowd were waiting for all night.

 

As the band said their ‘thank you’s’ and jumped off stage, the audience were not ready to say goodbye. Chants of “one more song” were thrown around the room, with each audience member stomping their feet. After a raucous few moments of chanting, the band hopped back onto the stage for two more songs.

 

Opening the encore with the soft ballad Lonely As A Shark, the crowd sang along swaying in time to the soothing vocals. The set ended with the thunderous track, Carrion. The track is one that showcases the change that Gengahr have adopted over the past few years. A new found confidence is shown throughout their live performances and even the recording of their new album.

 

Needless to say, Gengahr are no longer just a dreamy indie pop band. They have come into their own and are showcasing a new found sound and confidence. If the atmosphere from their Manchester show is anything to go by, even bigger venues are on the horizon.