Gengahr at The Joiners, Southampton

Hailing from Stoke, indie four-piece Gengahr have made a very strong start to 2018 delivering a second album which is arguably even better than their debut. The group have now released two studio albums on independent label Transgressive Records. Formed back in 2013, the band had their first ever single ‘Fill My Gums With Blood’ played by Huw Stephens on BBC Radio 1. They were then invited to play the BBC Introducing Stage at Glastonbury in 2014. After releasing their debut record, ‘A Dream Outside’, in 2015 the group have been constantly working hard and writing new material. We had a chance of seeing Gengahr’s self-curated art exhibition in London too. Although the album did well, and the band now have a cult following of enthusiastic fans, it failed to chart in the UK.

Embarking on a UK tour for the new LP, ‘Where Wilderness Grows’, it has been almost four years since we last saw Gengahr in action on stage. At The Joiners in Southampton the foursome seem to have a new air of confidence about them with little nerves. Hearing some of the band’s delectable new tracks live proved Gengahr’s worth, on the road to becoming a major player on the UK indie scene.

It felt as if the band have truly fallen into their sound; they’re comfortable with what they’re producing. The group’s psych-rock tones pour so elegantly through every track – specially on the new material – delivering unique distorted pop melodies that seem to be only doing the band justice. Frontman Felix Bushe’s falsetto vocals play so well over the band’s well-produced guitars riffs and basslines. The setlist choice worked fantastically too, with an even range of tracks from both the band’s debut record and the second LP. 

If you’re a fan of indie music then Gengahr should be on your radar. For a band with a name based on one of the more boring Pokemon, the name suggests nothing. The group’s sound is bold yet chilled out helping it so eloquently translate to a live medium and sound just as good as it does from your record player at home.