Drenge, PINS: The Kazimier, Liverpool

A frenzy at The Kazimier with Drenge

With a chaotic, menacing and newly expanded sound, Getintothis’ Matthew Wood finds Drenge on rip-roaring form at a packed Kazimier with shimmering support from PINS.

Entering the fifth night of their European Tour Drenge commandeer the Kazimier stage with support from PINS for an inevitable onslaught of chaotic grunge.

Manchester quartet PINS (with added live member on synth and tambourine) open the night impressively with their gutsy, driving psychedelic post-punk.

Drenched in a pink fog, cheeks smattered with glitter, the band open with Lost Lost Lost, a pounding opener featuring yelps and ‘shhhhs’ which go on to prove to be one of the band’s most striking aspects; their seasoned utilisation of backing vocals that hail most prominently to fellow all-girl quartet, Warpaint.

Standout tracks include their latest single Too Little Too Late, a track that boasts the band’s confidence to experiment with structures and to juxtapose haunting organ and amp screeches with sincere lyrical innocence, “I forgot to say happy birthday, I hope I didn’t spoil your party“.

Taken from their upcoming second album, Wild Nights, Dazed By You is a boisterous, thrashy number with a chord progression that urges one to recall The Libertines. Girls Like Us seems every bit the crowd favourite, before weaving Cyndi Lauper‘s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun into the finale of their set, in an amusing and wholly justified tribute.

A simmering crowd begins to bubble ferociously as the Loveless brothers and their new bassist make their way on stage, “Do you remember last time when the lights didn’t come on?” recalls Eoin, a brief pause before lighting the fuse causing the Kazimier crowd to erupt.

Running Wild the second track from their sophomore album Undertow opens the set with a clearly developed sound as a three-piece. Revealing more complex riffs and vocals echoing The Vaccines‘ Justin Young, overall there’s a more sonic edge to their sound. It becomes apparent that Eoin has embraced the opportunity to embellish his guitar parts while bassist Rob Graham holds fort.

A circle pit ensues by the third song of the night Gun Crazy, a track that the addition of a bassist has enhanced no end, a thick, heavy sludge runs throughout this short blitz of the senses.

Nothing follows with tight chugs of bass and guitar with a White Stripes Icky Thump-esque break accentuated by the towers of light flashing between the trio, ending with somewhat lacklustre ‘lalalalas‘.

Earlier tracks such as I Wanna Break You In Half, which comidically followed the tossing of a Tunnocks chocolate bar on stage, the anthemic Let’s Pretend and playful Fuckabout are among their strongest tracks suggesting that perhaps the band are still getting comfortable with their new sound.

The Woods and Standing In The Cold are Drenge truly embracing their newly found three-piece identity, taking leaves from the frequently visited songbooks of Nirvana and The Cribs. The opening riff of Standing In The Cold is one torn straight from Nevermind and a distinct northern drawl hints at the Jarman brothers.

PINS burst confetti over the trio’s heads as they move into their new single Favourite Son which makes like the intro to Arctic Monkeys‘ Do Me A Favour sped up a number of times before progressing into a wall of sound, shoe-gaze finish. It’s a sound that a two piece would struggle to emulate.

It is true that Drenge are still getting used to being a three-piece, the telepathic communication between the brothers having been somewhat disrupted, yet while still undergoing this transition the trio offer a rip roaring show of menace and an admirable brute force.