The Long Blondes and ¡Forward Russia! at Fabric, London

Dream line-ups are occasions to be celebrated, so when news came through that some of the brightest lights emerging from the UK music scene were to converge on Fabric this Easter Bank Holiday weekend for what can only be described as one of the most exciting gigs so far this year, Hot Press felt it was only right to grab our trusty notebook and a hip flask of whiskey and get the hell down there.
Fabric is one of London’s most labyrinthian clubs and tonight it’s completely swarming with sweaty, drunken revelers. Naturally enough, this combined with the myriad stairs, lack of phone signal and progressively rising blood alcohol levels makes for frequent navigation issues. Still, we manage to catch sets by the pick of the bunch, including The Long Blondes and ¡Forward, Russia!.
Kicking off proceedings in the main room are the brilliant South London quintet Roland Shanks, a band with a knack for classy, clever indie pop, as proven on their singles ‘Cutting Teeth’ and ‘Colours’. They’re followed by Shychild and the almighty punk funk firework Shitdisco, a band that tears up the stage like it’s junk mail. Over in room two are London trio The Noisettes, a band you’ll certainly be hearing more about this year. Fronted by a woman with the raw energy of Grace Jones and the voice of a fallen angel, they immaculately execute explosive, angular art rock that sends shivers up your spine.
Back in the main room, ¡Forward Russia! are taking to the stage for what quickly turns out to be another all conquering show that swerves from punk to disjointed rock to metal to pop and back again in three easy minutes. After that, it’s over to room two for everyone’s favourite geek rockers, The Young Knives - a band bringing geography teacher-chic back to the kids. There’s nothing dreary about the music though: top notch quirky indie pop, especially on the single ‘Rumour Mill’. The best set nod however has to go to headliners The Long Blondes, who justify the hype and more besides with a blistering set that saw high points in the shape of ‘Lust In The Movies’ and ‘Appropriation’. Sharp, stylised, endearingly amateurish and bucketloads of fun, The Long Blondes added to the night’s celebratory vibe with the news that the former best unsigned band in Britain had just inked a record deal today. I’ll drink to that.