On the current live music scene, there’s not a single band that comes close to Liverpudlian duo Her’s. Awful grammar aside, no one can quite match the sheer entertainment, intense laughter, and the absolute joy of their dream-pop. The definitive answer to the popular meme “name a better duo, I’ll wait” and the musical equivalent of the brain releasing serotonin, Her’s are simply a delight in a live setting. Outrageously tight (despite frequent sound issues) and with the best chemistry in a band you’re ever likely to see, Her’s are a musical marvel.

Equally as good were their Heist or Hit label mates, Honey Moon, who impressed us with their excellent EP Four More From… Honey Moon last month. Opening with frontman Jack Slater Chandler asking a member of the audience how he was doing out of ten, he responded, “9/10? Wow and we haven’t even started playing yet. We’ll get that down to a 4.5 in no time”, it was, in many ways, the perfect support needed for Her’s. Experimenting with a 50s doo-wop sound, fused with a familiarly modern indie-pop, they were incredibly impressive and, on this evidence, could easily headline a venue of this size in their own right.

After their exciting couple of slots at The Great Escape festival, including a show at our Alternative Escape Showcase, it’s clear from the excitable teenagers at the front and wily chinstrokers at the back of the sold-out Sticky Mike’s that word has spread on Her’s terrific live display. A packed-out venue is always the best place to see a band, and the duo thrived on the excitement of the crowd. Showcasing both Songs of Her’s and Invitation to Her’s, it was a perfectly balanced setlist. From the slow jams to the indie bangers, Her’s have a track for all occasions.

While the likes of ‘What Once Was’ and ‘Love on the Line (Call Now)’s exuberant melodies and guitar lines get the crowd dancing, it’s mega-single ‘Cool with You’, a terrific fusion of laid-back Lonerism-era Tame Impala and The Smith’s downbeat Hatful of Hollow that gets the crowd in on a full-on singalong. With ‘Harvey’, ‘Marcel’ and final song ‘Speed Racer’ (opened with the finest bass solo in a long time), too, Her’s have already got enough hits to make this show feel like a greatest hits set.

Yet, it wouldn’t even matter if their setlist wasn’t of the quality it was. The band have an exceptional amount of charisma and chemistry that they could get away with just bouncing off each other for the whole night. Whether they’re giving out a toy police baton, quipping in with a hilariously deadpan joke, or throwing out fantastically quirky dance moves, there’s an eccentric nature that makes the duo even more endearing than they already were. Lead vocalist Stephen Fitzpatrick, in particular, has the comedic timing only seen by The Beatles in their A Hard Day’s Night phase.

“We love this place… from the beach, to the veggie food, to The Hope & Ruin, it’s one of the best cities in the world and we can’t wait to be back” Fitzpatrick ended their dynamic set on, much to the delight of the audience. Her’s play Brighton gigs as if they’re the biggest shows of their lives and the Brighton crowd acknowledge and appreciate that. One of the best bands on the indie circuit, we’re already waiting for the band to play another Brighton show and can’t wait to see where they go next.

Liam McMillen

Website: thatbandofhers.com
Facebook: facebook.com/thatbandofhers
Twitter: twitter.com/ThatBandOfHers