Gig Review: modernlove. @ The Louisiana
by Oscar Ross, Music Editor
Having spoken to the band before the gig over a pint of Guinness in the small, but cosy Louisiana green room, I was intrigued to see how modern love. would convey their heavily produced, synthy sound in a live setting.
David OFMG
Support Act
Tucked away in the far corners of the internet, I had no idea what David OFMG would sound like going into his set. Hailing from the same town as modernlove., Drogheda, OFMG originally produced electronic music, however, has since removed it from his SoundCloud, intending to rebrand to his new emo sound.
Chatting by the bar before the gig, OFMG explained how he was on tour with the band selling merch but had been called up as a support act in the absence of NEEVE due to their lead singer falling ill. This last-minute set didn’t seem to faze him at all, reminiscing with me how his aunt had lived on Gloucester Road, and that he was glad his first-ever gig in the UK was to be at Bristol’s Louisiana.
Coming to the stage with low sung and muttered vocals laced with warm, reverb-washed guitar, David OFMG captured his audience with his mesmerising originals. OFMG had an incredibly friendly presence on stage, joking with his audience between songs, light-heartedly apologising that he was not the intended support act.
The standout song, Note to Myself was written alongside modernlove. And was performed with true passion by the Irish singer-songwriter, who embellished his vocals with King Krule-like guitar, upon which was a single flower that had been thrown on stage during his set, to wide applause and a huge smile from OFMG. I would recommend keeping an eye out for this guy’s debut because it might just be a killer.
modernlove.
Headline Act
Modernlove.
Modernlove. Stormed on stage amidst roaring screams from the tightly packed Louisiana and delivered, as promised with their latest releases: driving runs, poppy vocals, catchy bass lines, all wrapped up in a disgustingly tight live set.
With their synths at the back of the mix, modernlove.’s poppy sound gave in to a more shoegazey feel, with glittering drums delivering hard-hitting drops. The band gave their true indie sound with songs such as ‘Don’t Wanna’ and ‘Follow You’ which showed a Bombay Bicycle Club side to the band I hadn’t considered listening to their recorded tracks.
The band were an unbelievably tight unit, with Danny on left-handed bass and keys, Cian going ham on drums, Graham keeping things together on guitar and Barry pouring his heart out on the mic, his vocals ranging from broken up and gritty to smooth, poppy croons. Successfully bringing the dynamism of a huge stage to Louisiana’s small space, the band’s energetic on-stage dynamic suited the Louisiana’s nose to the guitar feel. The whole crowd got moving to the tunes, even getting down to the ground to jump up on their closing track.
So, if you’re looking to enjoy a night of indulgent, shoegazey indie-teen tunes, be ready to shout loud, jump up and let go when you catch modern love. live on tour.
Listen to modernlove. here:
Photography by Oscar Ross
Have you been to the Louisiana?