The exhilarating style of the northern duo left the crowd buzzing as Nai Harvest tore Sticky Mike’s apart with an energetic, fuzz-ridden performance.
Ben Thompson and Lew Currie were back in Brighton to showcase their newly-released EP, Hold Open My Head. The record itself sets a softer tone to the shouty lyrics of past, and sees the two-piece take a tidier approach to their original muddy style, distancing themselves from the mucky early-1990s emo genre.
The duo put on a thrilling performance while maintaining an intimate relationship with the crowd. Thompson’s twiddly guitar riffs burst into fuzzy choruses. This, accompanied by Currie’s vibrant drum fills, prompted the exuberant crowd to wreak havoc. The EP title track, Hold Open My Head, saw the biggest reception of the night, as the audience exploded, flying around the basement.
An intriguing use of effects pedals and line switchers allowed Thompson to switch between guitar and bass amplifiers. This uncommon technique created the fascinating illusion of a full band, seen rarely in live performance.
The more poppy, shoegaze vibes exhibited by Nai Harvest shifts them away from their original, emo stance and, judging by the reaction, they’re clearly moving in a positive direction.
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