Review of Esben and the Witch at Crawdaddy – April 8th
Review: Joey Kavangh
Photos: Kate Turner
The sun is setting on one of the sunniest and warmest days of the year but, rather than sparking up the barbeque and attempting to soak up the last few rays, I am retreating into the cavernous surrounds of Crawdaddy to listen to some doom-laden goth rock courtesy of Esben and the Witch.
Across town, hundreds of students are descending on College Green in their glad rags to see BBC Sound of 2011 poll-winner Jessie J play at the annual Trinity Ball. Esben and the Witch were also shortlisted in the poll but one suspects the Brighton trio are unlikely to be troubling Jessie J at the upper reaches of the chart any time soon.
Support tonight comes in the guise of garage pop trio Squarehead and lo-fi heroes The Ambiance Affair as a moderate-sized crowd trickle in to Crawdaddy. Then, with minimum fuss, the headliners take to the stage and launch into the opening bars of Argyria.
Over a backdrop of pounding bass and echoing guitars, front woman Rachel Davies’ voice soars like a banshee and all chatter among the congregation is immediately subdued. Masked by hair hanging over her face, she and fellow band-members Daniel Copeman and Thomas Fisher, thrash about the stage wildly as if possessed by some unknown demonic force.
Next comes Marching Song, the best known and probably the most accessible song in their arsenal. Initially restrained and brooding, the track builds towards a ferocious but brief climax. This kind of dramatic shift in dynamics is something that Esben and the Witch do exceptionally well, imbuing their music with a light and shade that draws you in.
Another gig-goer had earlier remarked that she was apprehensive about seeing the band live, because she imagines their debut album, Violent Cries, as inhabiting another realm. She needn’t have worried as the band do a good job at preserving a certain anonymity on the dimly-lit stage tonight, keeping interactions with the audience to a minimum and focusing their respective gazes on the floor.
As they wrap up their set with Eumenides, it’s hard to gauge the crowd consensus. Esben and the Witch’s brand of murky and sprawling cacophonous soundscapes is certainly an acquired taste, but there’s something refreshing about their irony-free approach to their craft. They’ll inevitably be back on these shores during festival season, so be sure to check them out and draw your own conclusions.
