Narc. Magazine Online
Reliably informed
Dominic Stephenson enjoys a night of synth-fuelled theatrics and blazing punk
After my first visit to Three Tanners Bank, I’m happy to report IRKED get better with every outing. Up in the rafters, the quintet (ft. a guest appearance from Lars Ulrich) inundated the cosy grotto with the blazing squall of debut album The Grievance – their soundtrack to pure, cold class rage. They rattled through the setlist via their trusted collision of molten riffs, cleaving vocals and bellowing drums, fan favourite The ACP being the highlight and the title tune is similarly potent, before familiar closer and anthem Backstreets. While not the most natural fit for the synth-fuelled theatrics to come, the North East’s leading punk flagbearers come served with a shot of adrenaline alike.
Over four years had somehow passed since I’d last seen Walt Disco and true to their fantastical disposition, the Glasgow troupe have undergone a colourful metamorphosis. After the steely post-punk of their embryonic days and the glam-swilled pop of debut album Unlearning, the most immediate feature of this next chapter was their sonic restraint.
This was the first night of a six-date run; although not confirmed, I suspect the setlist was their so-far unannounced third LP performed in full, with opener My Body Knows When To Run evoking the nonchalant swagger of How Cool Are You? from the debut. The dazzling flamboyancy often attributed with the band was dialled down on following tracks Lies and Warmface, but simultaneously opens room for instrumental flowering and while relatively subdued, there’s still an operatic flourish on the staggering Don’t Do This Alone. Jocelyn Si’s breathtaking vocals are the centrepiece of their luscious arrangements, embellished by whirring synths and a charging rhythm section, before they detonated the electro convulsions of lead single Coup de foudre.
A stripped-back, heartfelt ballad called Look Out For Me followed, once again elevating Jocelyn’s sweeping vocal game, and a lean, laser-focused set culminated with a grandiose finale on Wonderland. Having reined in the histrionics of previous years, Walt Disco have constructed a matured soundscape on their new album, which promises to be a richly rewarding experience.
