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In the heart of East London, Anglo-Antipodean band Splashh played their biggest London headline show to date last night and impressed - despite a mid-set dip and an unexpected stage invasion from fans.
Support came from Superfood, who again showed a huge amount of potential with a collection of catchy numbers during a brisk twenty-odd minute set. Lead singer Dom Ganderton is all very Brit-poppy with his howling vocals and the tightness of the band is clear for all to be impressed by.
Formed around 18 months ago by New Zealand-born front man Sasha Carlson and Australian guitarist Toto Vivian, the now four-piece Splashh have harnessed their own blend of echoey grunge that has certainly caught many peoples attention.
Tonight they kick off with ‘Washed Up’ and that fuzzy sound doesn’t take long to reverberate around the venue. They create a sort of psychedelic swirl with Carlson’s vocals echoing throughout and the unrefined sound of keys slotting alongside the thrashing guitars and heavy bass.
With a strong start it’s safe to say when these guys are in full flow, however it’s the middle section of the gig that asks questions of the band. The great intensity that got things going gets lost during a song called ‘Peanut Butter and Jelly’ and for the large majority of the next two songs ‘Feels Like You’ and ‘Today Fade Away’ it feels like the quartet lose their way.
The real highlight of the set and the defining moment comes in the form of ‘Vacation,’ the garage rock feel of the song is only outweighed by the summery vibes. Despite some sound issues throughout, when Carlson screams “VACATION” over scuzzy guitars, it’s easy to get lost in a trance thinking of a happier, sunnier place.
Set closer ‘Need It’ is hypnotically intense, that is until a few fans rush onto the stage just as things are getting good. I’m all for a stage invasion but not when the people invading are more interested in taking ‘selfies’ or dancing like your Dad after one sherry too many.
Despite this blip at the end, it was a good gig. With their debut album just released in the States this will allow fans to enjoy what sounds like a largely summer based album and get on board with it, the curious decision to delay the UK release until the beginning of September is baffling.
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