5 STARS
Glittering and charismatic indie rock ‘n’ roll that packs a serious punch. If you don’t know The Bohicas, get to know. I can’t lie: I’ve been a big fan of these guys since they emerged in 2013. In a slightly biased frame of mind, I was slightly put down by the fact that they were playing such a small venue (how The Bodega manages to hold a club night I do not know, there’s some Tardis-kinda-magic going on I’m almost certain), but was nevertheless excited to see how they could work a small crowd.
I reached the venue just in time to catch support act Same Streets: essentially a four man fusion of Jake Bugg and Alex Turner, complete with Northern drawls, polo shirts and Oasis-esque lyrics. The lead singer has a great voice, but their music lacks a bit of originality. Sorry lads.
The crowd was more than ready for The Bohicas. The Essex-hailing four-piece, showcasing their debut album with ‘The Making Of’ tour, took to the stage with characteristic swagger and style: featuring leather, the skinniest of jeans and some really good shoe choices. They opened with personal favourite ‘XXX’, their guitars shrieking delightfully over lead singer Dominic McGuinness’ talented vocals. That’s one thing you might not gage if you’re just listening to the band on Spotify: they’re all exceptional singers. Their harmonies are so sublime the crowd goes quiet just to make sure they’re drinking it in properly.
Their music is nevertheless heavily driven and distorted but never fuzzy; despite having a grungy undertone, their sound is surprisingly melodic, featuring catchy choruses and memorable lyrics, making it totally danceable. McGuiness fronts the band with wonderful confidence, meeting the eyes of the audience and making sure everyone is having a good time. ‘To Die For’ created the biggest stir of the night, and their ferocious final song ‘Swarm’ was met with wide eyes and wild dance moves. Though still in their early days, these guys are definitely a force to be reckoned with, creating glittering and charismatic indie rock ‘n’ roll that packs a serious punch. If you don’t know The Bohicas, get to know.
Image sources:
1: http://spindlemagazine.com/2015/02/interview-bohicas/
2: Writer’s own
3. http://www.stayloose.co.uk/NEWSTheBohicasTheMakingOfVideo