Wunderhorse Live Review by Rob Johnson
Very occasionally a gig comes along where you see a band just at the right time, just in that sweet spot before whoever it is hits the stratosphere. It’s rarified air when it happens. That feeling that you have witnessed a moment. Something that will never be repeated. Ladies and gentlemen, enter Wunderhorse…
The days of Wunderhorse playing venues as small as Leeds Beckett SU are soon to be over forever. Indeed, the band have just announced a huge show at London’s iconic Alexandra Palace. This particular gig is packed to the rafters and you can feel the electricity in the air as the stage lights go down and Jacob Slater and his band take to the stage. The band’s second album Midas has only been out for a couple of months but the title track is greeted with palpable excitement from the delirious crowd and from there the band never let up. ‘Butterflies’ fills every corner of the venue with its twinkly guitar intro and thundering bass, and it’s striking how good Slater’s voice sounds. Any worries that his often low-key drawl would be lost in the mix are allayed within the first five minutes of the gig. This is a frontman and a band at the absolute peak of their powers.
Wunderhorse originated as a solo project in Newquay in 2020 before becoming a ‘proper’ band in 2021. They have always been indebted to ‘90s alternative rock and the crunching intro to ‘Cathedrals’ cribs from the Smashing Pumpkins whilst still managing to sound utterly fresh. A freak-out guitar solo morphs into ‘Leader of the Pack’ and this is the first time in the evening when you get that feeling. The creeping joy that starts in your heart and eventually spreads to the smile on your face. The ‘I was there’ moment. The knowledge that you’ll be talking about this one for a long time. It’s an incredible song. Destined to become a classic. Here it sounds simply gigantic.
Next up, purple light bathes the audience signalling the arrival of ‘Purple’. The chorus inspires the kind of communal moment that only happens at a gig. Or maybe in church. It’s suitably biblical. You can tell how much it means to Slater. To everyone. By the time ‘Rain’ closes out the first part of the set everyone in the room feels connected somehow. There is a tension. Nobody moves. Anticipation. Like waiting for a heavyweight boxer to land that final knockout blow. And sure enough, the band return to the stage and it’s time for ‘Teal’. The song builds to an unforgettable crescendo culminating in Slater’s guttural howl and lyrics that evoke ‘A beautiful world and a beautiful mind’ – the world sure feels beautiful when Wunderhorse are playing.
Along with Fontaines DC and Idles, Wunderhorse have restored my faith in guitar music and given thousands of people a band to believe in. These songs will change lives. Wunderhorse. Leeds. We were there. Praise be. Limited ticket for remaining shows here.
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