Pulled Apart By Horses – Live At Electric Ballroom, London

Gets your heart racing

If you’ve got a reasonable amount of musical talent, it’s not a hard task to put on a decent live show these days. Some frenzied jumping, some cocky shouting, volume cranked loud enough to make sure the crowd will still be hearing it long after they’ve disappeared under a duvet – it’s been tried and tested by countless bands who’ve already come and gone. Indeed, if your audience already look pleased as hell to be there then you’ll be onto a success regardless. As it goes, a large chunk of the crowd in the Electric Ballroom look so young it wouldn’t be surprising if they can count the number of gigs they’ve been to on their fingers and toes. They seem to be excited just to be in a music venue at all.

Both bands playing tonight already have a sturdy reputation for their live performances – even if Devon five-piece The Computers only released their debut album last year. The band set the room alight when they supported The Bronx at The Peel in Kingston last year. Tonight, however, they didn’t have to compete with any LA swagger from Leeds-based Pulled Apart By Horses. Taking the stage in their snug-fitting white jeans and shirts – thankfully they’re all slim lads – they hurl us straight into the first album track ‘Where Do I Fit In?’ Throwing in other recognisable tunes such as ‘Group Identity’, they’re almost faultless live, bursting with grinding energy and whipping up a crowd that could easily never have heard of them.

As any casual listener of BBC Radio may know, Pulled Apart By Horses released a new album last month. The BBC kindly made it their record of the week, making sure that every DJ played their new single at least once during their show. Fortunately both song and album are stonkers so this was no chore. The band has been building a healthy fanbase since 2008 and their hard work has paid off.

They kick off with their usual opener – the excellently titled ‘I Punched A Lion In The Throat’ – whipping up the crowd with throaty yelps and guitar riffs that raise the heart rate. Out roll a mix of first and second album tracks, from the catchy latest single ‘VENOM’, to ‘High Five, Swan Dive, Nose Dive’ – the song whose lyrics comprise of an economic total of twenty three words. They jump, they scream, singer Tom Hudson climbs the furniture and ventures into the crowd. Not a moment of rest is allowed.

The band leave for the encore to a shower of confetti, returning with the might of ‘Tourette’s’ and ‘Den Horn’ – ensuring both them and the crowd will be going home hoarse.

Words by Cat Gee
Photo by James Perou

Click here for a photo gallery of the gig.

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