OVERDUE, BUT I SAW WU LYF IN MARCH
Apparently ‘Wu Lyf’ is a type of Chinese food, Pagan ritual
and a Spiritual rehab centre. After successfully explaining that Wu Lyf is in
fact a band, I was then faced with the difficult task of describing what Wu Lyf
sound like.
Self described as ‘heavy pop’, Wu Lyf’s gig was not a
disappointment; the rawness of the album, ‘Go Tell Fire to the Mountain’ was
more than successfully captured in their live performance. Front man, Ellery
James Roberts delivered the vocals with that rough and strangely captivating
voice. Guitar riffs and the distinctive ‘BOOM BOOM BOOM tiki tiki tiki tiki’ of
‘Dirt’ were played to perfection. What was missing was audience interaction.
Knowing that they were often portrayed as mysterious band, I wondered what they
would be like with the audience. After playing three or four songs (pretty much
perfectly, may I add) without a word to the crowd, I began to lose hope for the
interaction that makes live music worth it. At that precise moment where I
thought all hope was dashed, Ellery James Roberts croaked into the mic; his
speaking voice equally as cool as his singing. The gig only got better from
there.
Wu Lyf turned out to be a friendly group of ‘bros’, giving a fist bump
and high fives to the crowd. Their show seemed to be the gift that kept giving,
when after being cheered back on stage, the band demonstrated their diversity,
giving their own take on Kindness’ ‘Swinging Party’. All in the intimacy of the
venue Heaven, Wu Lyf‘s “last UK gig ever... well, ‘till we come back” proved to
be a good one.
Laura xx
Photo taken by me