The Hope & Ruin is where I find myself spending the majority of my evenings these days. Tonight it’s full to the brim and sweltering. Priests are tonight’s headliners. After releasing their first proper LP Nothing Feels Natural back in July, the band have been grabbing attention from all over. The album has been one of the strongest releases of 2017 so far, it’s a brilliantly balanced powerful post-punk album that’s full of relevant lyricism as well as great production. Their lyrics talk about political discourse, privileges, integrity, modern anxieties and frustration, all in a relatable way, combined with an inspiring attitude.

‘Appropriate’ starts things off, it’s also the opener on the album. It’s like a switch gets flicked and everything in the room changes. From the first hit of the snare everything becomes focused and switched on. The band sound brilliant, everything is clear and in balance. They’re incredibly exciting to share a room with and watch live. There’s an energy from the band that warms up the room and the audience. Single ‘JJ’ follows, after which is where they really come into their own. The sound is very well balanced, every element is exactly where it needs to be in the mix, there’s nothing too loud and no one is overpowering.

Singer Katie’s vocal is spot on. It manages to perfectly emulate the recording and manages to catch you off guard. It’s unexpected. After listening to the record so much you never expect the band to sound exactly how they do on the album, there’s always little things that are different and these usually make for great live shows. Priests pull off a trick that delivers both, they sound exactly as they do recorded whilst keeping all the excitement of a live show. It feels like this level of playing comes so easy to them. Everyone in the band is incredibly loose in the way they play but they all play as one tight unit. It’s probably down to the years of playing together and their work ethic as a band that leads to this kind of live show.

Watching Priests feels like a window into a rehearsal. That’s not to imply a lacklustre performance in any way. The way they command the stage and are with each other looks so natural to them, it feels almost like a disconnect from the room and the audience is peering in. What really sticks out is Daniele’s drumming. She drums like a machine. There’s an athletic stamina to it. Every beat is hit incredibly hard and with sharp precision. ‘Nicki’ is one that really stands out for it. Each release of the hi-hat is perfect. There’s the same energy and level to it from the off, it really is the glue that holds everything together.

Priests play fantastically, it’s everything you would want from the gig. Their setlist is predominantly from Nothing Feels Natural but with some old favourites in there as well. They are an incredibly strong band live, which is every bit as important as the recorded output for bands like this. I do believe that they are probably one of the most important bands at the moment. Their music is every bit as thought provoking as it is exciting. Katie’s lyrics are clever and resonate strongly with the fans. I do fall victim to hyperbole when I see bands like this, if it’s a record I hear or a performance I may get carried away. I can say from a grounded point that I think Priests are going to be one of the most important bands for a disconnected generation, they may already be.
Chris Middleton

Website: 666priests666.com
Facebook: facebook.com/priestsband
Twitter: twitter.com/PRIESTS_TWEET