On Saturday night, Brighton-based art-rock band Perch took to The Hope & Ruin to promote their new album, No Step, which was released the same day. The nine-track album follows 2016’s Umbra and consists of tracks the band have been playing live for a while now, with the album itself having a live atmosphere feel to it.

First to take to the stage were Broker, a band that combine melodic chords and vocals with heavier, shouty vocals. While most bands tend to sing better than they scream, I have to say Broker were great at the heavier stuff and are one of the few bands I’ve seen that lean more towards that side of their mixed style. This, along with some catchy riffs, made for a winning set. The band were a worthy opener for the night, getting the crowd excited for the evening and filling out the room very quickly.

Next to perform were Owte, a three-piece band who combined elements of jazz and experimental music. This set was different as the band are a purely instrumental band, but their energy and passion kept everyone interested. The cross genre influence added a bit of variety to the evening and the set almost felt like a jam session.

I’m Being Good were the last act to perform before Perch took to the stage, bringing a much heavier and particularly raw sound that would be hard to pin down into a specific genre. There was an abruptness to the way the band performed which kept things interesting throughout their set.

After three interesting and different performances, it was time for Perch to take to the stage. Weirdly the crowd seemed to have thinned out a little at the start of their performance, but the room quickly began to fill up once more as they began to play. The band had a great presence on stage and it was clear within the first few minutes why they had been chosen to headline the evening.

As the band’s new album No Step emits a live feel, it translated effortlessly into a great live performance, feeling equally engaging and creative. There was a mixture of moods throughout, adding some variety to a set that was the definite highlight of the evening.

With a good number of bands performing, there was a great range of music on show at The Hope & Ruin on this Saturday evening. From the heavier to the more melodic, to the purely experimental, it was a great experience for everyone in attendance.

Headliners Perch were the definite highlight and I’m sure they’ll continue to gain success with such a great new album under their belt. As the band continue to evolve, I look forward to their future releases.

Dan Whitehouse

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