Palma Violets // The Waterfront - 25.11.13

I stood at the back with everyone else over 16. The vibe was fresh, a mix of Impulse and White Musk.

Openers Telegram promised much considering their debut single ‘Follow’ is an absolute scorcher and I’ve been streaming it left right and centre. They certainly looked like they should be letting rip some killer psych rock vibes and they did (with a sprinkling of glam rock). Odd but it works.

I'd like to say I found Childhood's set engaging but I spent the entire time looking at cat photos on my friend’s phone. 

But ah ha! Time for ‘The Main Event’. My violets were well and truly ready to be palma’d. Much to my dismay singer and bassist Chilli flounced on in a pair of shades. Shit like that doesn't normally bother me but tonight, for some reason, it added a sense of the inauthentic to the first quarter and I spent most of my time gawping at the crowd. Finally though the bloody things fell off, audience rapport was established and things felt good. Debut single 'Best of Friends' was (probably unsurprisingly) the best song of the night; it was quite exciting, but not as exciting as expected. Taking the Lambeth boys out of 100-cap venues deadens the intimate basement vibes somewhat. That's entirely unavoidable but does add to the irony of the situation; this young new band with a (semi) fresh approach and a whole bunch of don't-give-a-fuck fans in tow is the next generation making a noise. Shouting loudly.  But their amplification was facilitated by a bunch of music industry veterans and not pissed off kids. That's just the way it's gotta be I guess. As the show went on I couldn’t shake these thoughts (which was probably unfair); maybe it's because they give off the sense of being more important than they are, through no fault of their own I hasten to add. Songs do tend to merge into one with Palma Violets but I like to think of their set as one long shouty party. My kinda party. Yes’m. Overall it was an enthusiastic performance, perhaps a little over rehearsed but presented with genuine energy and intensity. Boys done good.