Gig Review: Kite Base

Earlier this year I stumbled across Kite Base after reading that Savages' bassist Ayse Hassan was one of the two members in the band alongside Kendra Frost. That fact alone was more than enough to convince me, so I checked out their material on soundcloud. I was definitely impressed on first listen but for some reason didn't return to it for a little bit. It wasn't until I later introduced them to a friend that I listened again and remembered how good they were, and as if in answer to my thoughts and prayers, they announceed that they were playing a free show at Electrowerkz in London on a day that I was free... all for free. I got those tickets so fast, there was no way I was passing up this opportunity.

Unfortunately as I was travelling from the Midlands I only caught the tail-end of the support act, Vactrol Park but check them out on soundcloud. They're a synthy/electronic duo and from the last couple of songs that I caught, they sounded like I lot of the techno that I've heard in Germany - pretty lo-fi stuff.The main note that kept coming to mind was that their songs had some build, and just when you thought they were going to open it up, they dropped back down again. Now for me, that's not my cup of tea in particular but by all means, if you truly appreciate techno music give them a listen.

Now, now, now, Kite Base. Only one word to describe how I felt after this show - giddy. For them to have such a level of presence in this tiny, dreary room, was an achievement in itself. When they opened up with their latest single "Soothe" I'm pretty sure that I had a few butterflies. There's nothing more exciting than seeing music you like; music that you've jammed to alone, for the first time live. I felt like a proud mum singing along. The new songs that they played translated really well live too, which was encouraging given the quality of the sound. During "Miracle Waves", giant lit up balloons were released into the crowd, boosting the energy in the room and producing outbreaks of laughter. To be honest, I'm impressed the band kept their composure, because the picture of the crowd helplessly flailing and being battered relentlessly with bouncing balloons must have been even more hilarious from the stage. Closing with their first single and my personal favourite "Dadum" they finished with raucous cheers from the crowd and huge smiles. This felt more like a show for family and friends than anything - one of the most memorable shows I've been to in a while and it lasted about a millisecond.

I still don't understand how this show was free - I'm not complaining but I'm just astounded. My friends and I all said the same thing after we left. It was a privilege to catch them when we did because I expect the next time we see them we'll be lucky to even get a ticket.

Overall rating - 7.5/10


Here are some pictures from the night...