Photo Credit: Rachel Demy
I consistently find myself falling in love with bands that just can’t seem to fall in love with touring this country. Sure, it might not be Britain that’s the problem, it’s the puddle in between, but sometimes, you know, it’s hard. Thanking the touring gods for this live gem, Pure Bathing Culture finally announced a UK tour and snapping up a pair of tickets to the show was a given. I would have snapped up four, but with only two of us going, that’s a bit gluttonous and i’m not made of money.
Showcasing their Portland prowess in The Lexington (a venue i’d only been to previously for swing lessons), this North London venue hosted just the right level of intimacy for the sometimes subtle duo.
There’s a hazy dream-like state to the works and songs of Pure Bathing Culture, but their live offering doubled expectations, and showed the duo in something of almost a peppy, and punchy light. While lo-fi and woolly in their true, and otherworldly form, Pure Bathing Culture rattled and livened the clearly PBC loyal crowd with electrifying performances of their beloved hits. Reviews often tailor around the flow of the night, and I think that’s important to a gig, as Pure Bathing Culture’s track selection felt reliably fluid and open throughout the evening, a theme that’s not too dissimilar to their albums as a whole. ‘Ivory Coast’ and ‘Pendulum’ made for a surprising and welcoming movement throughout the room with creative 80s jabs, while ‘Scotty’ was bellowed by Sarah Versprille with stunning levels of vibrato and echo. Smacking chops with a glove and challenging us all to a duel however was their current single 'Pray For Rain', a song that translated into live form is a hip shaker, money maker and everything in between.
Finishing off the night with not only an encore, but a rendition of ‘Dreams’ by Fleetwood Mac, Pure Bathing Culture made their wait for a trip away from the States worthwhile, and their gig solidified the duo as a thoughtful and dreamy, yet sometimes surprising pair.
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/purebathingculture
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/purebathingculture/
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