Chvrches Live at the Ventura Theatre

'Twas the week between the two Coachella weekends... 

So what better way to celebrate my birthday than a pleasant evening with Mrs Blog in the fair City of San Buenaventura and the cavernous hanger that doubles as Ventura County's only meaningful rock venue (sorry Thousand Oaks, the carbuncle masquerading as the Civic "Arts Center" doesn't count...) for a sold-out show by Glaswegian synth-pop trio Chvrches?

Toronto four-piece (or three-piece plus guest keyboards) Austra, more than adhered to this Blog's mantra of "get there early and catch the support act." Fronted by the hypnotic Katie Stelmanis - with a voice that manages to encompass Hannah Reid, Florence Welch and Paloma Faith - the band's unique and thoughtful Gothic-tinged and atmospheric electronic synth-pop certainly may have perplexed some in the Ventura crowd, but from where I was standing the band certainly ticked all the right boxes - and post-gig listening to last year's album Olympia - hints at a band well-worth keeping an ear to the ground for...

Lauren Mayberry wows the crowd...

By the time the lights dim and Chvrches take to the stage, the Majestic is absolutely heaving... Without further ado the trio launch into "We Sink" and as the pulsating techno-beat introduction reverberates throughout the venue, Lauren Mayberry steps up to the mic... and makes it all sound so effortless (to the degree that even a collapsing mic-stand later in the set doesn't phase her...)

Those present are effectively treated to a live rendition of the band's breath-taking album "The Bones of What You Believe" (which as the band are still riding high on the success of their debut - isn't surprising). 

Pyromania!

As I wrote last year "...Scottish electronic synth-pop band Chvrches debut album is a nigh-on perfect mix of retro-eighties electronica... all synthesisers, vocal loops, indelible hooks and danceable beats - with added twenty-first century sensibilities..." Live however, these rich textual beats are augmented with some old-school industrial synth-rock and much more of an emphasis on Iain Cook's guitar work...
I'm struck by how much Mayberry reminds me of a young Clare Grogan from around the time of the first Altered Images album ""Happy Birthday", especially with the way she and the band almost appear taken aback by the ferocious response of the crowd; there's minimal between song patter (highly unusual for a UK band), just an almost shy and apologetic "thanks guys" delivered in her disarming Glaswegian brogue... 

With Mayberry and Martin Doherty sharing the vocal duties, songs such as "Recover" (a personal fave), "Lies"  and "The mother we share" are absolutely nailed... However it's the encores "You caught the light" and the awesome industrial version of "By the throat" that brings the roof down...

This was an absolutely epic set and the perfect birthday present... I won't need a birthday excuse to see the band the next time they're touring the States.