A GENIUS PERFORMANCE AT ISLINGTON ACADEMY

Pretty Girls Make Graves
Supported by Lostalone
@ Islington Academy
Reviewed July 6

Through lack of a VIP area for ‘creative types’ to recline and ogle the masses below, it was high-time for a bit of school disco roughage, and androgynous trio Lostalone provided the gut-churning performance required. Sliding towards the heavy end with morbid basslines and decapitating riffs, the pugilistic rage of the guitar-toting front two provided suitable warm up for all concerned.

With The Strokes selling out to corporate big-wigs T-mobile at a secret location earlier that day, the crowd were looking for a faith-restoring recital from headliners Pretty Girls Make Graves, and even the German housewives to my right felt the remedial effects of this epic performance.

With the Academy blighted by shitty electrics, the quintet improvised for opener ‘Wildcat’ before second up ‘New Romance’ laid rest the gig demons. The intricate display gave layer upon layer of musical genius worthy of Ambrosia rich comparisons to early Sonic Youth. The kitchen sink encompassing set brought a veritable feast of musical instruments from ‘fuck-me, can guitars make that sound?’ to ‘ah, whistles do serve some musical purpose’ and ‘Maracas? But you’re not a coke-snorting Liverpudlian!’ MH

Http://www.prettygirlsmakegraves.com