Gig Review: Auntie At Mascara Bar

Auntie, Sisters and Newbuild spotlight a series of names at All Killer’s CD Launch at Mascara Bar; highlighting the best of the next wave

All Killer’s curation in the London music scene is second to none; and this CD launch is perfect for supporting independent venues. Where better to host the evening at one of London’s most iconic venues, the Mascara Bar, which is an appointment for tastemaker bands like Girl in the Year Above, Fontaines D.C. and Sprints? It’s more than just Auntie, Sisters and Newbuild on the CD – bands like House Arrest and Rampressure also make the billing, London regulars, so giving the space for now fairly established scene veterans amongst burgeoning new talent is a perfect hybrid for a melting pot of unique style and talent.

First band on is Sisters, from Liverpool, whose alt-rock, whimsical sound gets us in the move for the night. ‘Guerrilla’ is a haunted track “this house breathes; is always watching,” the lyrics hum, before cutting sharp, lethal and devastating in the night to the point where you wonder whether the haunted house get-up at the Mascara Bar tonight is just for this gig and not just for Halloween:“and you know it”. This is the five piece band who as with any band more than four members struggle to fit in the cramped stage; owing as much to Explosions in the Sky with its slow build of distorted guitar music that it weaves into a blast that is perfect to experience live, the slow howl of guitars at the night. It’s dream, low-fi bedroom alt-rock at times with unhinged ghost-story horror shrieks, making it perfect for the Mascara Bar get-up at night. Their subtleties and lyricisms bring added depth here amongst the noisy surface: telling the audience “dress me how you like / and I’ll hate it,” gives more purpose to ‘Guerrilla’ and a weight of sinister tone beyond its years.

 It’s now time for Newbuild who are at this point, Windmill scene favourites. I’ve seen a healthy lot of Windmill bands recently including Ziplock and Lifeloose emerge alongside in the wake of 1000 Rabbits and it’s confident that now more than ever, that scene is bustling with creativity and charm. Newbuild are talented – inspired, of course, as is evident from the first few tracks, Radiohead, but have a distinct, well-polished sound of their own that rises quickly through the ranks of the Windmill circuit and are capable of appearing higher-up on bills in their own right. Their big song is ‘Dogs’ and in this house, we like dogs, so that’s a win there. They also have five minutes and the sound is shoegaze in nature, drawing from a similar vibe to that of the dream/bedroom alt-rock of Sisters. The rhythm guitar is engrossing and the band encourage the crowd to move forward; to get invested to dance, and they do – to call Newbuild another Radiohead clone would be to do anything but: ‘Dogs’ in particular is a high-octane sound that fuses jungle, no-wave, trip hop and more and their variety means that no two songs sound the same – they can hit you with just about anything.

Headliner band auntie continues the loose family themed naming scheme of the night; who like Newbuild, both have a 30-min odd set recorded by Windmill legend Lou Smith available that give you an idea as to what to expect from the band. Sax is first and foremost here and the band have an instant 1,000 Rabbits/Black Country, New Road-type homage to them that really works – and the sound sounds so good and beyond their years almost instantly. The way ‘Favourite Son’ in particular builds and builds is remarkable, the London natives having met at Goldsmiths and forming as a collective that pulls members from as wide as China to Milton Keynes. Their growth under the radar has given them rise to headline slots already and it’s early days yet, but whisper it quietly, they could very well be the next 1,000 Rabbits.

They could very well be the next Black Country, New Road. Yet another band to emerge out of the Windmill’s New Music nights that have generated such a cult following whenever they’ve put them on, the Mascara Bar has given them the headline slot with All Killer and they’ve instantly shined with influenced being drawn from bands like Ugly and Drive Your Plow that really place them at the heart of the Windmill Scene in spirit. Wish are another name that member Bobby has cited in interviews.

Tracks ‘Butterfly’ and ‘Bodycam’ sound so unique and stylish in spirit, the alt-rock act has touches of scrappy folk and post-punk in places, giving them the sense of freshness and variety that uses its crescendos as a way to install raw, cathartic emotion. Lines like “I’ll run the Hackney half just to get back to you” from ‘Favourite Son’ place the band as very much a London band, mining the city for all it’s worth, making it feel alive and lived in. It’s such a triumphant experience that you can’t help but fall in love with the sound that Auntie have crafted - and admire their status as a band on the rise.

This is something good here - and you might just have witnessed, with all thanks to All Killer, thanks to Mascara Bar, raising funds for Independent Venue Week, one of the “I was there, the night all three bands came together to play in one place” success story of the years to come.

Photography by Elliana Martell (@ellianamariamartel_)