Whitney celebrate forthcoming release of 'Forever Turned Around' at intimate East London show

21 August 2019, 10:55 | Written by John Bell

(News)

(Whitney)

With the release of their much-anticipated second album Forever Turned Around just a week away, Whitney threw an intimate release party at East London's Moth Club last night.

The free show was announced just 24 hours prior, leaving many fans dissapointed as tickets sold out almost immediately . "I think we're going to play here every time we have a London show", drummer and singer Julien Ehrlich announced as he joined the stage after a considerable wait.

He was referencing the fact that the Chicago band are no strangers to the 300-odd capacity venue, having played a similar show promoting the tour of Light Upon The Lake back in 2016. "We love the Moth Club," he continued, "Dave Grohl and shit?". Grohl had performed at the venue on Friday, for the relaunch of Club NME.

The show also marked the end of a short string of European festival appearances, such as Pukkelpop in Belgium and Wales' Green Man; "We kind of destroyed our bodies," Ehrlich admitted. Regardless, the seven-strong outfit clearly enjoyed playing to a London crowd again. At one point while Ehrlich wished their soundman happy birthday, lead guitarist Max Kakacek began playing the intro to the Strokes "Last Night" stopping short just before the first verse, to everyone's fake-boos. "What?" Ehrlich chimes in, "You're gonna give us shit for that? Go easy on us, it's Charles' birthday!"

As well as playing tracks from the new record such as singles "Giving Up" and "Used To Be Lonely", and new additions "Friend of Mine" and the trip-hoppy instrumental "Rhododenron", the set was filled with a healthy amount of crowd pleasers from Light Upon The Lake, not least opener "The Falls" and hit "No Woman".