Kill Yr Idols @ Hare and Hounds review: A celebration of shoegaze

The eve before a nice relaxing bank holiday Monday, you’ll get to have a lie-in and a slow morning, so surely a five-band bill won’t hurt the night before, right? Luckily, the people of Birmingham were treated to exactly that at Hare & Hounds for Kill Yr Idols, stacked with a night of dulcet shoegaze juxtaposed by stunning queerness and kick-the-door-down punk. 

Starting the night off at Hare & Hounds are a few dads, but what makes these dads special is that they’re in a noisy punk band called THEBIGHELL. They do more than warm up the crowd, it’s more like being thrown in the deep end for us only to come out dry at the end of the night. Singing about exactly what their name implies, their songs are like microdosing millennial humour whilst the house you can’t quite afford burns down. Equal parts satire, searing vocals smothered in reverb and palpitating tempos found in the likes of T.B.H and flagship single BASTARDEYES, and conversation between songs that highlight the sense of community in Birmingham make THEBIGHELL the perfect opener for Kill Yr Idols.

Borough Council in comparison, are seldom Speedy Wunderground expats, they fit the brief: suited in vintage outfits that are hastily thrown together. Starting with the mellow Casino, and moving through an array of unreleased tracks, some of which have a heady booziness to them, mixing in the sort of wails that go hand in hand with tears rolling down your face, and the hopeful euphoria that Bowie’s Heroes produces.

Everything seemed normal, and then Mock Media stepped on stage introducing the crowd to their many faces. A combination of wiry post-punk, country, and what can only be described as a Canadian post-punk band’s take on ska ensues. Each member constantly asks for the sound engineer to add more vocals in their ears to a comical extent. Wonderfully weird, they're as smooth and sweet as maple syrup, making it almost impossible to dislike their high energy and enthusiasm to be on stage and play odd songs with their friends. 

When Model/Actriz come on, the atmosphere switches. Suddenly, this isn't a happy-go-lucky Sunday, it's more like spawning into a burlesque club doused in bloody red light. Frontman Cole Haden drapes the tassels of Latin ballroom gloves over his face and then over members of the audience. Whether it's Mosquito or Crossing Guard the crowd bob their heads to the exact beat, bash against each other, or scream back lyrics at the top of their lungs. This is who everyone is really here to see tonight. Haden presses himself up against fans, the sultry air is a part of the effect he has on people, walking through the crowd his presence exudes an intimidating but enthralling pressure. You just can't help but keep your eyes on him. It’s drop dead; gorgeous, camp, mouthwatering. 

The room empties out after their set but never quite fills back up in the same way, it’s always going to be difficult to follow up a jawdropper like Model/Actriz. Bdrmm are like falling into a pile of the world's softest feathers in slow motion, but It’s Just A Bit Of Blood is like splashing into a pool at its highest riffs and momentarily noticing the sunny glow beaming down upon you refracted in their spacey sonics. They slide in and out of riffs, bridges, and songs nearly seamlessly when they aren’t interacting with the crowd, shoegaze at its finest. Most importantly, much like THEBIGHELL and Model/Actriz, they bring out the community within the crowd — people are dancing next to each other as they usually do, but together hand in hand. Encompassing what Kill Yr Idols and Birmingham are all about. 

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