If you hadn’t already, you can chuck any Karen O and Yeah Yeah Yeahs comparisons out of the window because Ritzy Bryan and her formidable bandmates have played their way into a gigging league all of their own. I’m ashamed to say, as a Welsh girl, the Joy Formidable have passed me by on their previous Brighton visits. I’ve been a fan of their music, don’t get me wrong, but maybe I had some fear of a Cerys Matthews beer-in-one-hand-fag-in-the-other slurathon. Any such reservations could not have been more misplaced. This band has class and it breathed some much needed fresh air into Audio’s stuffy club room.
Baddies are first up and deliver a reminder of why they have won so many admirers with their Essex indie-rock charms. But this night is a celebration of the headliners continued rise to prominence. Before the Joy Formidable’s set even starts, a fragile looking Ritzy captivates every person in the room with those staring childlike eyes and a poker-straight blonde bob. There’s something about this girl — something about this band — that suggests they’re sticking around for a good while yet.
The dreamy intro of “Whirring” fills the room with a grungy yet joyful ’90s vibe. Moody Rhydian’s bass and Justin’s drumming forms the perfect base for Ritzy’s beautifully haunting Welsh tones. Debut single “Austere” gets the crowd going and I can’t help but sway along with a cheesy grin on my face. After all, this band are Welsh, and they’re really doing us proud.
What it comes down to is this: the band somehow gave the same love to this little set as they might to Glastonbury or even a stadium gig. A love for performing radiates from all of them, cementing them as a must-see live band. Here is a band with genuine stage presence and a visible love for performing for its fans. I’ll put it out there: this is my band for 2010. Check them out, you will regret it if you don’t. Be warned.
Photography by Anna Connacher
