Thumpers & Pawws – The Louisiana, Bristol 18/02/14

Blimey. Sehr Gut. Classically trained flautist and ivory tinkler Lucy Taylor (AKA Pawws) delivers a set worthy of blowing the head-lids off an entire sold-out arena as they stand wide-eyed, gape-y jawed as if watching Breaking Bad for the first time. It’s not just ‘big’ pop, it’s titanic, dazzling magic. It’s the kind of new wave/synthpop that’s replete with swooning hooks that pockmarked the ’80s – think Tiffany, Belinda Carlisle and Madonna (to an extent). Taylor’s captivating from the first second to the last, laser-pointedly yanking at heartstrings one moment and telekinetically forcing all manner of shapes to be cut the next. She’s endearingly shy too, punctuating stumbled audience-chatter with nervous giggles – not in an insipid coquette-cackle way, more in a “holy crap look at all the people!” way. The adrenaline’s put to good use though, and the night begins begins with a worrying level of brilliance – is Pawws going to show up Thumpers?

In short: no. Though that feels like a slight to Taylor.

Here’s the long version:

Let’s preface this by saying that Thumpers are pretty much what everyone needs to get pumped about. They’re one of the most invigorating pop bands this century (overstatement? Piffle!), and if you’ve heard much of their offerings, no doubt you’re inclined to agree. Without further ado.

The London-based twosome flock, alongside their live crew, to the Louisiana’s teeny-weeny stage, flanked by precarious amp stacks and blanketed-up windows. It’s like an impromptu house party; coincidentally, that couldn’t be a better atmosphere for Thumpers – they feel like friends of friends of friends, the kind of band you kinda-sorta know personally. There’s an accessibility to them. This ain’t no high-falutin’ aloof-fest, this is delirious sincerity.

Thumpers put on an ebullient display of glamorously optimistic earworms, Los Campesinos!-esque gang chants, bubbletronica flair and rhythmic Frankensteining. It’s elated chaos, wielding some of the most inventive drum playing you’ll witness and the cheery grind of six-string riffery – it’s electropop with a rock bent. The lyrics for the most part are wholly indecipherable, but you can just tell that between the non-standard speech patterns and male/female harmonising (as well as a few total made-up words) that it’s imbued with a youthful glitz and a spritz of naïveté. They’re an act ceaselessly gazing on the bright side, and even when things get more solemn, they scurry to find the silver lining. It’s beautifully uplifting in the wake of this meteorological reign of terror and global political tumult.

Tracks like “Dancing’s Done” elicit entranced swaying if not outright boogie-ing, and while the more-renowned efforts – “Sound Of Screams” and “Galore” for example – get people gyrating considerably more than (we assume) fresh album cuts, everyone’s beaming. There’s a rosy glow emanating from the crowd, and there’s a relaxation sweeping over the content masses – the same kind you get after a nice glass (/bottle) of fine wine. When chunky numbers do hit, the Louisiana can barely contain the action.

Thumpers lack a proper-sized venue for their sound. It’s early days yet, of course, but they need somewhere grander. Not necessarily stadia or festival stages, but elegant theatres where they can paint cornices and marble cherubim in rainbow confetti, where they can engage on a physical level with the audience, and where the wildest, wonkiest, Wonka-est imagined machinations are plausible. Their sound demands a theatricality; it’s not for squirreling away in some dark corner or sweaty dive, it’s for bellowing to the rafters and swinging off chandeliers buck-nekkid.

Ending the night on “Unkinder” is a wise decision. Brimming with energy, rockin’ axes and impish ADD-hooks, it’s a song that serves it’s purpose as a ‘one last hurrah’ splendidly. People want to sing along, but with the pace of the words, and the cryptic factor playing a part also, there’s a fair few crowd members mumbling loudly with manic glee, shaking like a child unwrapping a PS4 on Christmas Day, and voices essentially going: “Mumunuh… nuh… nuh ermenermah… A TOUGHER TOUGHER LOVE!”

A great night was had by all. Exquisite line-up – these are two acts you should be following so closely they get a restraining order. Though between them they dole out their fair share of heartbreak and loss and tearjerk sadness, there’s not one second of doldrum lolling or sulky sullenness. In the most earnest way possible, it’s life-affirming.

Thumpers Setlist:

Marvel
Tame
Dancing’s Done
Roller
The Wilder Wise
Sixteen
Sound Of Screams
Galore
Together Now
Unkinder (A Tougher Love)

• Photo by Sara Amroussi-Gilissen from Koko, March 2013. See the full gallery here.