Palma Violets at Bruxelles | Review

Palma Violets at Bruxelles on December 1st 2012

Palma Violets are one of the most hotly-tipped bands for next year. They have already graced the cover of NME, and have appeared on Jools Holland despite only releasing one single. They have made their name with their live performances so we headed along to sample some of the action. Bruxelles was the venue, and entry was free.

Gangs supported and played some catchy tunes that showcased frontman’s Jordan Curtis’ impressive voice. However the songs started to sound a bit samey by the end of their twenty-minute set. Their main problem though was their totally insipid stage presence. They stared at the ground throughout the show, and seemed almost bored with their own songs. The only remarkable thing about their performance was the band’s ridiculous hair and earrings.

Palma Violets could never be accused of being disinterested. The band were lively and full of energy, bouncing around the stage enthusiastically. Best Of Friends sounded brilliant, and Last Of The Summer Wine and Fourteen were impressive too. There is no doubt that Palma Violets are brilliant performers, and are extremely engaging to watch. The bassist, Chilli Jesson, was especially flamboyant, leaping about all over the stage, while still managing to play in time. His best moment however was when he put down his guitar and jumped into the audience, essentially becoming a spectator to his own band. Another spectacular moment was when the band all jumped on top of their drummer, but still managed to pick themselves up and play another song.

The songs themselves however lack any kind of substance. There’s nothing to them, just a basic bassline, drumbeat and synthline and a few chords strummed over. Nothing grabs the listener’s attention as such; there are no stand-out riffs or catchy bass hooks. Of course the band are capable of writing excellent tunes, Best Of Friends is testament to this. There are some enjoyable, sing-a-long choruses, but not enough of them. Their biggest attraction is their formidable live presence, which is exceptional. However to be really considered a top band, they need to be just as good in the studio as on stage, and my fear would be that unless they have a few more tunes like Best Of Friends up their sleeves, they might not be able to translate their brilliance live onto record. Only time will tell if they can really live up to the hype.