The multivenue festival returns to London for a night of beer and beats across three of Hackney’s finest venues. What more can you ask for?

SON Estrella Galicia are back at it again, putting rising stars on local stages in conjunction with beer, pizza and general good vibes. This time, they’re showing off a new generation of local talent with their second instalment of Soundhood Hackney. The event was first launched last year, expanding SON Estrella Galicia’s micro-festival concept beyond the walls of a single venue. The inaugural event was their biggest yet, taking place across Paper Dress Vintage and Two Palms, with a stacked line-up which included Gia Ford, DITZ, and Cosmorat. Now, they’ve broadened the scope of the event by making use of three of East London’s finest grassroots venues: The Sebright Arms, Paper Dress Vintage, and Oslo.

The journey begins at The Sebright Arms with Yawners, a Madrid based alt-rock trio fronted by singer and guitarist Elena Nieto. The band maintained a sensibility reminiscent of 90s slacker rock with their clean, college rock riffs, seemingly having shed their teen angst while equally allowing for a sense of wistfulness and slight trepidation to drip through every note. Like a less tumultuous Dinosaur Jr., Nieto’s vocals were plaintive, almost nostalgic, as they pierced through the lightly overdriven guitar and pounding drums without ever overwhelming them. Yawners were an excellent way to start the evening; they were fast, a little heavy, and a glimpse into Madrid’s local talent – a breath of fresh air that carried throughout the evening.

The festivities continued with a ‘Beer and Beats’ Tasting event hosted at Paper Dress Vintage. Upon arrival, guests were given a choice between a standard Estrella Galicia and a 1906 Black Coupage dark lager. Throughout the tasting, a SON Estrella Galicia speaker discussed the similarities in creative processes between music and beer before leading a game of musical bingo, in which the winner was given a branded SON Estrella Galicia T-shirt, tote bag, and lanyard.

Next up at Paper Dress were Amor Líquido, a Madrid-based four-piece that positively oozes 70s-inspired art-punk and rebellious vigour. The band exploded onto the stage with upbeat and punchy riffs that immediately whipped the crowd into a frenzy of movement. Their third song had barely even begun when a mosh pit opened up, much to the delight of the crowd, who immediately hurled themselves into it. The guitar tone was trashy in the best way, vocalist Sara Puertas’ singing veered into rapping, while the bass tone cut through everything. The band’s playing was undeniably reminiscent of The Clash, but combined with their sheer youthful exuberance, it works fantastically to create a punchy, upbeat wall of sound that is almost the antithesis of London’s current zeitgeist of more deliberate, self-serious post punk.

At one point, Puertas called out the band’s Spanish fans, many of whom had made their way down to London to witness them play in a brand new city. The band also played a cover of Jet’s ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl?’ in Spanish, continuing to enamour the crowd with their jubilance. By the time they finish their half hour set, the pit has formed into a surprisingly well-managed circle. Based on the reaction of the audience, Amor Líquido were an easy highlight.

Headlining the Paper Dress stage were Liverpool-based quartet Courting, who arrived with swathes of their own fans in tow. The crowd had been thoroughly warmed up by Amor Líquido, and the atmosphere was electric. When Courting took the stage, their fans were bellowing their own lyrics back at them and at least a third of the room had transformed into a pit by the time they started their fourth song. The band are all competent musicians and have been around the scene for a number of years, which makes it all the more disappointing when the singer starts to use autotune, much to the detriment of their entire sound. Pulling material from their three LPs, Courting’s are reminiscent of The Killers and at points Neon Trees, though they were ultimately at their strongest when they shed these influences and played in a more pop-punk style. The band’s standout member was rhythm guitarist Joshua Cope, who also spent the set making use of a synth and cowbell. The band finished their set to a thunderous applause from the audience, even returning for an encore upon the crowd’s request.

The night was hardly over yet. Across the road at Oslo, Dublin-based quintet Gurriers had begun their propulsive headline set. Excitement was rife in anticipation for the band, who recently released their new single ‘Erasure’, following the success of their debut album Come And See which dropped last year. Their erratic, progressive post-punk sound illuminated the room with an explosive presence that surged across the packed crowd, making for a performance to remember. As the event dwindled to its end, DreamWife closed things out with a DJ set at the Sebright Arms.

SON Estrella Galicia has once again managed to put on a hell of a show, helping lesser-known bands play with their more established contemporaries and even inviting show-stealing Spanish artists to London’s humble grassroots venues. If you like pizza, beer and local tunes, this may well be the place for you. SON Estrella Galicia will be making another return to the Sebright Arms in November.

Gig Review: SON Estrella Galicia presents Soundhood Hackney

The multivenue festival returns to London for a night of beer and beats across three of Hackney’s finest venues. What more can you ask for?

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