Yonaka have had a busy summer. The band who took to The Great Escape, full of blurred lines, jagged edges and a hurried want for the party to start on their own terms were not the same beast by the time Reading & Leeds rolled around. That need to get things moving was still ever present, but carried by a confidence in the build and the thrill of the chase, they were bigger, better and more potent. With a handful of anthems-in-waiting at their disposal and the buzz of the new, Yonaka bloomed.
Tonight as the headline London’s The Borderline, things change once more. Starting the excitement from scratch, the gang colour the night in their own terms. From the word go, they toy with light and shade, fury and frenzy. There’s a space to play so of course Yonaka use it.
Four songs in and ‘Wouldn’t Wanna Be Ya’ hits. Instantly the excitement finds a new level to bounce from and carnage reigns. The whirling chaos carries on through ‘Drongo’ as Yonaka push for more. Constantly driving things forward and pushing at the walls, theirs is an undeniable energy that lights up the room. Normally the slow burn of ‘All In My Head’ is used as a pause for breath but tonight, there’s simply no stopping them. ‘Ignorance’ and ‘Bubblegum’ lift things even further, a flurry of electric shapes, realised potential and swaggering wonder.
There’s always been something special to Yonaka, an attitude and a need for space, and tonight sees them taking control in glorious high-definition.