We’ve been told time and time again that Estrons is Welsh for ‘Aliens’ or ‘Strangers’. And sure, if you take a step back their distorted pop-songs are pretty weird – all snarled aggression and bludgeoning hooks. But as the band take to London’s Boston Music Rooms, the brilliantly bizarre becomes fully glorious.
The weird isn’t only reserved for the headliners though. King Nun and Husky Loops only have a handful of songs between them but the venue is nudging capacity from the off. King Nun play on instinct. Songs will start, weave, distract and be killed off before the band get bored of them, but the impression is long lasting. Primal and making it up as they go along, King Nun are never sloppy. Their freedom knows its limits and while they’re happy to push those walls, they never overstep them. It’s confident, it’s knowing and it’s wild.
It’s harder still to see where Husky Loops draw the line. Lush and uncompromising, their approach is surefooted but the direction unknown. At times they feel like an art project that needs to be taken away, digested and discussed before flipping a dial and suddenly sounding like a radio station playing hit over hit. There are samples of adverts for Apple Music and Spotify that cut through the noise and the whole thing feels wonderfully outrageous.
As odd as the music is though, it connects. Instant and undeniable, both bands demand a reaction and of course they get what they want.
Estrons might be more known than either of the supports but tonight, they still feel dangerous. Galvanizing that connection and lifting it higher, the room rages as one. There’s a fury to their delivery and the urgency reigns but every song is designed to start something. ‘Call You Mine’ is as captivating as it demanding, ‘Drop’ is reckless, ‘Make A Man’ feels like the start of something great while a crowd-encouraged performance of ‘Belfast’ is all wide-eyed attitude as the band take things to the edge.
Refusing to take the scenic route or waste words, Estrons are powerful. “We just started jamming and something happened,” they explain before a handful of new songs take that crackle of excitement and light it up. The music might be weird and they might feel like aliens, but they refuse to yield. And tonight that feels wonderful.
Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett