Hurray for the Riff Raff have been receiving all sorts of attention back home in the US with TV spots on Conan and The Daily Show as well as a spot on Pitchfork’s best new music for their single ‘Pa’lante’. Having cottoned on embarrassingly late to the band after the release of their forth album The Navigator, I didn’t quite know what to expect from them live. I enjoyed The Navigator, it wasn’t until after the gig that the album really made sense and resonated with me. I haven’t stopped listening to it since.

It’s safe to say there was a lot of anticipation for tonight. The original venue was supposed to be the Green Door Store in Brighton, but the venue had to be changed to one of the biggest seafront nightclubs – Coalition. The venue had been slowly filling throughout the night. I briefly turned around when the band came on and noticed the room was completely rammed. My chance of a second drink was out the window by this point.

There’s something to be said about the venue not being entirely suitable for bands like this. However, with a few technical fumbles on stage, it allowed you to see the music at its core, the bare bones of each song, which for a band like this works well to its advantage. The sound would never carry through on a recording but makes the live show all the more special.

The band walk on with a modest ‘hello’ and kick things off straight away with ‘Life to Save’, a gentle opener allowing the band and the crowd to warm up. Things really get going when they play ‘Hungry Ghost’ – a powerful single with pop sensibilities; it’s probably the most straight-forward rock/pop song on the album, live it worked brilliantly. By this point the crowd, a relatively mixed bunch, were all completely enthralled and there’s none of the background concert chatter which seems to be unavoidable nowadays.

The set list is predominately cuts off the latest album The Navigator and to experience the band’s most developed album live was brilliant. It’s a no nonsense show and it’s clear this night is a celebration of the music and nothing else. Between songs Alynda Segarra, the band’s frontwoman/songwriter, talks to the crowd to put the songs in context. It’s clear that she doesn’t want her message misconstrued or confused. Her songs are very personal, they all come from real experiences and stories. There’s no speculation, she’s lived through what she’s writing about. Her songs are touching with all intention laid bare, The Navigator being a concept album with protest songs and commentary on the current political climate. For topics as big and relevant as this, they are bang on the money. It’s frightening and engaging, performed with genuine insight and passion, bringing something more than just commentary to the table. She intends to bring hope and certainly delivers on this – the perfect live show for the disillusioned. Her songs are classic, recalling Patti Smith. The music is put together in a way that genuinely feels like going forward in a more positive light then when you started. Even a deadbeat cynic such as myself couldn’t help but feel touched and even inspired.

A brief departure from The Navigator to play some old favourites highlights how loyal the band’s fan base is and goes down fantastically. The crowd are hanging on to every word, every note, just allowing the music to work its magic on them. The set ends on the main single from The Navigator, ‘Pa’lante’. It’s one of the best songs from the album, its clever and complex, live it sounds all the more powerful. On the album it’s a piano-driven song. Live, the guitar playing really cuts through, adding a tension to the song.

It’s probably one of the longest held applauses at a concert I’ve seen in a long time, almost as if the crowd is refusing to let them go and it worked. They come back and play ‘St. Roch Blues’ which was a beautiful goodbye, before inviting the support band on for a cover of ‘Fortunate Son’ ending the gig on a definite high. The band bid their final goodbyes and the crowd pour out into the Brighton night and I myself leave feeling as though I’ve seen something truly special.
Chris Middleton

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