Quebec duo Angine de Poitrine made their UK debut at Brudenell Social Club in Leeds, delivering a hypnotic, harebrained performance that was absolutely worth the hype. The polka-dotted phenomenon landed their spaceship in Leeds for an ecstatic show balancing supremely complex musicianship with ridiculous good fun.
Outlandish Outfits and Viral Fame
The proud tradition of bands performing in barmy masks ranges from the Residents' giant papier-mache eyeballs to Slipknot's scary gimp ensembles, but Angine de Poitrine's polka dot outfits may just take the biscuit. Double-necked guitarist/bassist Khn de Poitrine sports a giant upside-down pyramid head with a Pinocchio-style long nose. Drummer Klek de Poitrine's bonkers oversize head makes him look like Monty Python's Black Knight, but has its own dangly proboscis that flails around as he plays, topped with a tiny gold pyramid. The stage, drum kit, merch stall, and several fans are also swathed in polka dots. One particularly inspired group even turned up sporting Klek's gold pyramids.
If it looks like a phenomenon, that is exactly what it is. Although the band formed in 2019 and have jammed together much longer, Angine de Poitrine went viral early this year when a US radio station published a video of the duo performing at a French festival. This first ever UK gig was completely sold out, as are several much bigger shows this autumn, and the madcap duo were greeted like conquering heroes before they played a note. Before they even came on stage, fans were taking photos of Khn's complex pedal board setup.
Music as Outre as Their Clothing
Wonderfully, their music is every bit as outlandish as their clothing: a weirdly hypnotic, berserk hybrid of math rock, prog rock, punk, jerkily repetitive rhythms, microtonal loops, and twiddly guitar bits, with song titles such as Sarniezz and Utzp. At times, they erupt into a kind of extraterrestrial hard rock. There is no singing as such, but occasionally they emit a mechanical 'wooo' or 'oggy oggy oggy' in alien-like gurgles.
Fun in Dark Times
Although one must admire the fearsome musicianship that produces a sound this intensely tight—never mind while wearing those outfits—the key to their success is that in dark times they are simply ridiculously good fun. At many points, band and audience made matching pyramid shapes with their hands in a gesture of mutual thanks; at another point everyone bounced up and down in perfect unison. After the crazed epic Sherpa whipped everything into a brilliantly frenzied climax, everyone departed with a huge grin on their face and a tiny pyramid in their heart.
The duo will next perform at Electric Ballroom in London on 11 May, before continuing their tour.
