Gig Review: Wet Leg @ Electric Ballroom
Their first album plays great live and we’ve no doubt in our minds that Wet Leg are going places.
Support came from Honeyglaze, Speedy Wundergraound’s latest signing. The trio provided soft, sleepy melodies that eased one’s way into the gig. Throughout their set, you can hear prominent influences from the likes of Big Thief, The Cranberries, and Pixies. In spite of this wearing their hearts on their sleeves, these guys definitely bring their own sound to the equation. Combining delicate lyrics with raw guitar and drum patterns, their set was captivating, and would’ve been tricky to follow were it not for the energy returned by Wet Leg thereafter. Honeyglaze’s new self-titled album arrives today: Be sure to check it out!
Headline act Wet Leg, who seem to have been catapulted into the musical stratosphere recently, allayed any fear of Honeyglaze being a tough act to follow. Playing almost every late night show and radio station all over globe in the past year, it’s no surprise that this show was sold out to an eager crowd of hungry fans.
Bringing their own energy, the band spent their set carefully alternating between a finely curated setlist spanning released hits Too Late Now, Oh No and Angelica, with lesser known, calmer tracks on the album thrown in too. This followed the previous act in strong synchronicity while also providing a powerful atmosphere all of their own. If you’re suffering from a case of FOMO reading this, you can probably piece together a playlist if you head along and view the full setlist here. But playlist or not, the energy in the room that night was captivating: baby mosh pits and a call from a father on the balcony asking his daughter to raise her hand in the crowd below. It makes you think that this might be some of the attendees’ first gig, especially factoring in the years lost to a certain virus. There was a sweetness to that.
The live version of the album was well-delivered (and well-received by the crowd). It’s clear Rhian, Hester and the rest of the band are becoming masters at their craft, easily capable of holding their own on a sonic and cultural level. All of this talent makes it all the more satisfying to see them levelling up to the hype that surrounds them.
Obviously, closing with viral hit Chaise Longue, Wet Leg know how to end on a high — one instantly recognisable by even the most unfamiliar in the audience. Their first album plays great live and we’ve no doubt in our minds that Wet Leg are going places. The excitement is real to see their future musical output, but for now we can only wait and keep an ear out.