Liars have been very consistent in quality since forming 10 years ago, and while touring perhaps their most critically acclaimed release to date, Sisterworld, Stereo is dumbfounded at how tonight’s show has undersold.
Tonight’s support comes from Glasgow’s own Milk, who come across come as much a blast from the past as it is a look to the future. We, at Rokbun, covered them at the Captain’s Rest last month.
By the time Liars take the stage, it is clear the now swelling, but not quite capacity, crowd are all here to catch to Brooklyn based trio, bolstered to a five-piece for this evening’s performance.
Draped in smoke and green light tonight’s heroes emerge. Frontman Angus Andrew strikes an imposing figure, but as his uniquely expressionate stage antics kick in a confidence fills the room; they are watching a band at the height of their game.
Advancing into the powerful ‘Scarecrows on a Killer Slant’ the band look in their stride. Andrew then expels a more touching side announcing they’ll play a track he wrote while staying in Glasgow but they don’t play live often, before moving into the almost heartfelt murder ballad ‘Scissor’ which explodes into full on noise-punk.
Liars aren’t afraid to show off their more humorous side as Aaron Hemphill, on synth and guitar duties, jokes with a crowd member sporting Wu-Tang Clan merch. Displaying his knowledge of Wu-Tang Hemphill jibes at his favourite album is Wu-Tang Forever stating: “I’m not posing man, I read both books.”
The heat in the Stereo basement rises throughout the set, but Andrew keeps up his passionate dazed dances as the band power through Sisterworld tracks ‘No Barrier Fun’, ‘Here Comes All the People’ and ‘The Overachievers’.
Perhaps the standout of the night comes from 2007’s self-titled album in the form of ‘Clear Island’. The track’s throbbing keyboards and chanting lyrics have even the questionable fan nodding along.
Performances of old and new favourites like ‘The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack’ and ‘Proud Evolution’ only go further to demonstrate the band’s appeal. However, it is when they emerge as just a trio for the encore that the crowd really takes the show by the scruff of the neck, as chants of “blood” rain down on Stereo during an engrossing version of ‘Broken Witch’.
Liars may not have managed to fill out Stereo this time, but their disco vibed punk continues to capture the ears and imagination of everyone in attendance. As the word gets out and with their ever-growing popularity, we will surely see them playing a bigger venue next time around.
Photograph: Usman Malik
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