DEAP VALLY
Thekla, Bristol | March 1st
Deap Vally have been amassing a deluge of hype on the blogosphere in the last few months. Billed as a female Black Keys, the similarities are clear to see. With a line-up consisting of guitar, drums and vocals, the handful of blues-infused singles released over the last few months could be ripped straight from the Auerbach songbook.
On looking at those in attendance aboard Thekla, it’s clear that the band have mass appeal. From teenage girls in torn tights to balding middle-aged men in Stooges t-shirts, it’s impossible to pin down a core demographic. It makes for a strange yet refreshing crowd dynamic.
Singles Gonna Make My Own Money and Lies get an airing, the latter being rapturously received. However it’s B-side Ain’t Fair which proves the highpoint of the evening. Its driving and infectious rhythms impossible not to nod along with, the track provided an upbeat respite from the more pounding numbers on show. Closing with the sneering call to arms End Of The World was a further, predictable highlight.
What remains clear is how humble this duo are about the position they currently find themselves in. Thanking the crowd numerous times before departing, they appear genuinely grateful that people have actually come out to see them. There’s also something deeply refreshing in their hard drinkin’, leather clad exterior, as if relics from another age.
Like a (considerably) sexier White Stripes, there is something infinitely seductive about Deap Vally extending far beyond mere physical appearance. The grooves and fuzz driven riffs are hot and stifling, while Lindsey Troy’s sultry vocals hang thick in the heavy Thekla air. The pair brew an intoxicating and potent blues-rock concoction which, although not being the most innovative, stands out powerfully in the current landscape.
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Words: Benjamin Salt
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