★★★★☆
Unknown Mortal Orchestra provided a whistle-stop dive into their terrific catalogue at Troxy, placing emphasis on the rock in their psych-rock output.For more than a decade, Unknown Mortal Orchestra have been an understated go-to for soulful psych-rock; melodic enough to catch a groove, but with just enough kicks, snares and good ol’ fashion guitar riffs to keep your senses wide awake. At East London’s 3,000-capacity Troxy, the Auckland outfit dialled-up the rock factor, putting on a show that was far more enrapturing than I’d anticipated. And it was all the better for it. The minimal set design, with nothing other than that oh-so-crucial three letter acronym ‘UMO’ flashing in blue and white behind Ruban Nielson and co., might have made you think it would have been a more pared-back set. But this proved a false flag. Instead, the sonic heft behind the likes ‘Swim and Sleep (Like A Shark)’, taken from the band’s sophomore album II, and ‘Layla’, from their latest record (also simply titled by a roman numeral, V), made for a ramped-up occasion. Kicking-off with V opener ‘The Garden’ might have acted as a kind of lyrical warning, with its cries of “Hold on tight / ‘Cause it gets violent after dark / In the garden.” This wasn’t the mosh pit-inducing kind of gig, mind, but with the vast majority of the crowd opting to be down in the pit rather than the venue’s plush seats, you could hardly move.
Photo: Ethan Miller.
