Ex Hex + Rattle
Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
Friday 24th May 2019
For anyone wanting something a little different the Brudenell was the place to be assuming you arrived early enough to witness the hypnotic dual drum/percussion beats of Nottingham based Rattle. Katharine Eira Brown and Theresa Wrigley use nothing more than percussion and the occasional vocals to produce pulsating rhythms with every beat perfectly set to completely surround you and pull you in. Opening with ‘True Picture’, the shortest song of their set at just over three minutes, we’re treated to just four numbers including the epic ‘Disco’ and ‘Signal’ which, between them, clock up almost 20 minutes. Ritualistic, hypnotic, trance inducing, almost meditative, each song builds from a relatively simple start then adds in tension as the increasing bass drum and cymbals are introduced together with cooing vocals. A very different but non the less excellent start to the evening.
Rattle are on Facebook HERE.
Listen to Rattle HERE.
Ex Hex deliver a set of perfect pop punk guitar rock that’s split equally between 2014 album ‘Rips’ and recently released ‘It’s Real’. Opening with the power pop of ‘You Fell Apart’ the foundations are laid for an hour of glorious guitar driven garage-y rock that, whilst made for driving down the motorway or sitting in a basement, comes into it’s own played live. Ex Hex play stripped back, raw, fast tunes that are infectiously catchy. Live they’re a foursome rather than three with perfect twin guitar interplay between Mary Timony and Betsy Wright with David Christian fulfilling bass duties on this tour. Timony and Wright clearly enjoy playing live and, when not singing, bounce off each other, sometimes literally, strutting the stage with plenty of smiles, occasional sultry rock star scowls and stage edge guitar playing. ‘How You Got That Girl’ slows things a little with it’s sing-a-long chorus and swirly riffs but this is countered by the manic guitars and Laura Harris’s pounding drums of ‘Beast’ and the driving force of ‘Don’t Wanna Lose’. Songs from new album ‘It’s Real’ continue the powerful guitars and punchy vocals and, although not quite as raucous as those from it’s predecessor, ‘Rainbow Shiner’ is full of anthemic beats and some ferocious guitar playing, ‘Good Times’, ‘Radiate’ and ‘Diamond Drive’ are full of catchy hooks and big beats. Put simply an Ex Hex gig is good fun even if the subject of some songs is anything but. It’s guitar driven punky pop full of melodies and rhythms that pull a crowd in and make them dance. What’s not to like?
Set List: You Fell Apart / How You Got That Girl / Tough Enough / Another Dimension / Beast / Good Times / Rainbow Shiner / Diamond Drive / Radiate / Don’t Wanna Lose / Cosmic Cave / Everywhere // Radio On / Hot and Cold
Ex Hex on Facebook HERE
Ex Hex website HERE.
Words + Pictures by Steve White
