Haim – KOKO, London 30/05/13

Winning the ‘BBC Sound Of…’ poll doesn’t guarantee anything; just look at the relatively lackluster goings-on of 2012 winner Michael Kiwanuka. However, six months down the line, this year’s the top five looks fairly hard to argue against and, sitting alongside the likes of AlunaGeorge and Angel Haze, Haim clearly have the potential to cement themselves as a proper household name by the time the annual debate begins to rage again this Christmas.

The three Los Angeles sisters announced themselves to the world with their Forever EP in February last year, the title track gaining swathes of deserved online attention for its funky, unmistakably Fleetwood Mac-esque sound. High-profile support slots followed – most notably touring alongside the all-conquering Mumford & Sons across the US – building their exposure before receiving the aforementioned coveted title.

Returning to the UK, the siblings sell-out two nights in London, KOKO playing host to their second headline show of the week. The iconic Camden venue is swarming; people are hanging from balconies and lining the stairs as the levels of excitement become increasingly palpable.

It is the girls’ attitude and energy that stokes this audience fire and, somewhat surprisingly, they are at their most eye-catching when they go off-piste, away from their catchy pop numbers and ‘rock out’. Punchy, crunching riffs and squealing solos lead the way in a bluesy cover of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Oh Well’, and showcases what talented and comfortable (multi)instrumentalists they are; at times it feels like we’ve been asked along to a brilliant band practice in their Dad’s garage.

‘Don’t Save Me’ is the stand-out number from the set, sounding fuller than the slightly disappointing ‘Forever’, which doesn’t quite live up to expectations of the record. Percussion is a big part of the show and, unlike so many live performances where toms do little more than litter the stage, the drums pound relentlessly throughout the evening on top of the work from their immaculate drummer.

The encore sums up Haim’s performance; they break into a Stomp-like drum number, thrashing around the stage with carefree joy before Este, fresh from heckling back at a out-spoken crowd member and straddling the shoulders of a security guard, wraps-up the night with a proper old school stage dive. The actual quality of their songs don’t always translate that well to the live stage just yet, but it’s hugely energetic, musically-impressive and most importantly a hell of a lot of fun.

Photograph by Anthony Keiler