REVIEW: TRICOT, HOXTON SQUARE BAR AND KITCHEN, LONDON, 04/03/2016
Every now and then a band comes along that defies all expectations, and tonight that band was Kyoto born ensemble tricot. Returning to London for the first time since 2014 for a sold out show at the trendy Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen, tricot gave the capital a set of unbridled math rock riffs, unexpected signatures, and erratic vocals, all delivered like a gimmick-less punk rock show.
After losing their drummer in 2014, and opting for working with a number of drummers over the last couple of years, Ikkyu (Lead vocals, Guitar), Hirohiro (Bass), and Motifour (Lead Guitar) were joined by Miyoko Yamaguchi from garage rock duo detroit7. Despite not being a permanent fixture in the band, the chemistry between the Miyoko and the others was untouched, never missing a beat no matter how obscure, keeping the complex rhythm, and feeding off each other’s energy as they seamlessly jumped from track to track.
When it comes to knowing their your way around their instruments, these girls are proficient. Undeniably their technical skills are tight, with creative song structures that combine perfectly timed tempo changes that keep the crowd on their toes, with catchy carouses, melodic verses, and dynamic vocals from Ikkyu that shift from fragile pop to strong rock at the drop of a dime.
Now it wouldn’t be a stand out performance without some good showmanship, and luckily tricot have it in spades. As the night went on the group kept taking the energy in the room up a level until they hit their peak during the encore, throwing their guitars, climbing the amps and kick drum, and getting up close and personal with the crowd, leaving the stage for the last time with the entire venue floor in awe.
Over the years tricot have been praised as the freshest group to come out of Japan in a long time, and after seeing them live, it’s easy to see why they’ve been put on such a tall pedestal. Though they were only on stage just shy of an hour, the complexity of their sound mixed with a punk rock attitude made for a night that won’t be forgotten any time soon. Suffice to say, it doesn’t get more exciting than tricot.
tricot will be in the UK until March 13th, so don’t be the one to miss out on what might just be one of the best bands to hit our shores this year.
“YATTOKOSA” face to face tour 〜in Europe〜 UK leg
Sat 05th Mar – Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach
Mon 07th Mar – Brighton, Green Door Store
Thu 10th Mar – Dublin, Hangar
Fri 11th Mar – Glasgow, Broadcast
Sat 12th Mar – Leeds, Belgrave Music Hall
Sun 13th Mar – Leicester, Firebug
Words and photos by Charles Shepherd
