PENELOPE ISLES + HOLIDAY GHOSTS + LAUNDROMAT – CONCORDE 2, BRIGHTON 10.12.21
Tonight’s Penelope Isles gig at Concorde 2 felt like the completion of a circle in terms of my personal gig going in 2021.My first gig after COVID-19 restrictions were relaxed during the summer was a socially distanced gig at The Con Club in Lewes by tonight’s headliners Penelope Isles and tonight in Brighton was my final gig of 2021.
Penelope Isles are a brother-sister-centred alt-rock quartet from Brighton (via Isle of Man) whose debut album, ‘Until The Tide Creeps In’, was released through Bella Union in 2019. Formed around the chemistry between dual songwriters Jack and Lily Wolter, the quartet’s expansive DIY mix of translucent dream-pop, fuzz-rock guitars and indie-psych flushes comes lovingly dipped in exquisite harmonies and lustrous melodies: a combination so intuitive, you’d think it was in their blood.
Tonight at the Concorde 2 was the final date of the bands tour to promote their brilliant new album ‘Which Way To Happy’. I’ve been a huge fan for a few years now, it was Simon Raymonde, Bella Union boss and local resident who first introduced me to them and I’ve caught them live quite a few times over the last few years.
Tonight’s show was quite short, the band coming on promptly at 9 and finishing the gig at 10 with no encore. They were expanded to a 5 piece for the evening with their trumpet playing friend flying in from Copenhagen to add extra depth to their already pretty expansive sound.
Lily, always pretty chatty between songs, remarked mid set how they dreamed of headlining Concorde 2 after attending so many gigs as audience members, well tonight they were and didn’t disappoint.
Most of the songs played were from their new album ‘Which Way To Happy’, ‘Iced Gems’ a recent single sounded great, way more rocky when played live. ‘Cut Your Hair’, an early single also sounded epic, a wall of guitar noise that somehow still sounds melodic.
The gig finished with ‘Gnarbone’, a 10 minute epic that I never get tired of hearing, as the feedback pumped from the speakers the band left the stage, no encore but another exceptional gig from Brighton’s finest band.
Penelope Isles are:
Lily Wolter – vocals/bass;/keyboards
Jack Wolter – guitar/vocals
Henry Nicholson – guitar
Joe Taylor- drums
Penelope Isles setlist:
‘Have You Heard’
‘Terrified’
‘Cut Your Hair’
‘Sudoku’
‘Miss Moon’
‘Chlorine’
‘Iced Gems’
‘Pink Lemonade’
‘In A Cage’
‘Gnarbone’
The Brighton & Hove News Music Team have been fortunate to have witnessed Penelope Isles live on many occasions and they never fail to deliver. Read our report from their sold out concert at CHALK in Brighton during 2019 – CLICK HERE.
Check out Penelope Isles music on their Bandcamp page HERE and visit their website here: www.penelopeisles.com
Support tonight came from Laundromat and Holiday Ghosts, who incidentally both appeared as part of last month’s Mutations Festival in Brighton. Because of train issues I only managed to see the last 3 songs from Laundromat, my gig buddy Paul said they reminded him of Spoon, off kilter vocals and angular guitars, this Brighton band certainly have a unique sound and I will try to catch them again live in the future.
Check out Laundromat at www.laundromat.band
Holiday Ghosts who hail from Falmouth in Cornwall were on next and played a blinding set, think 60s West Coast pop with a touch of Violent Femmes. They were brilliant, vocals being switched between drummer Katja and guitarist Sam. Recent singles ‘Mr Herandi’ and ‘Off Grid’ sounded fantastic live and my favourite song of their set ‘Total Crisis’ got the crowd dancing. Catch them live next time they play in Brighton.
Find Holiday Ghosts tunes on their Bandcamp page.
