Live Review: Khruangbin - Eventim Apollo, London 24/11/2024
If you’ve been in an artisan coffee shop in Hackney or a sleepy hostel in some far away country, you’ve probably heard a Khruangbin tune. At times, critics have viewed the group’s dreamy grooves as background music. But on Thursday the group took their deserved place front and centre for the first night of their two Hammersmith’s Eventim Apollo tour dates.
Kicking off the evening was support act Peter Cat Recording Co, an indie-rock project from New Delhi. Very much like the headliners, it was clear from their performance that Peter Cat Recording Co. take inspiration from everywhere, providing the Hammersmith Apollo with a genre-bending performance that weaved genres like jazz and bossa nova with rock and, to close their set, the sounds of Italian disco.
It seemed we were in for a night of genre-bending, as Khruangbin took to the stage just past 9pm. 2024 saw the release of their sixth album, A La Sala, a stripped-down record with influences spanning the world, from Thai funk to surf rock. The first half of the performance was dedicated to A La Sala, opening with the record’s opener Fifteen Fifty‐Three.
Instantly you were drawn in by the overwhelming beauty of the set, which was an ode to A La Sala’s exploration of home. Three arch windows and a set of tan coloured stairs spread across the stage, and with the added constant smoke, it felt both dreamlike and homely all at once. The set wasn’t just a dormant part of the performance, as the group all made use of the space with synchronised dances and movements, proving it to be a vital part of their vision. Bass guitar and vocalist, Laura Lee Ochoa stood out particularly for this, who looked like a fairy on stage twirling around the stage throughout the evening.
The trio moved through A La Sala chronologically; from peaceful tracks, May Ninth and Farolim de Felgueiras, building up to surf rock-inspired Hold Me Up (Thank You), then back down to Les Petits Gris. Les Petits Gris ended the journey through the album lulling the audience into a trance like state with sounds of rain and wind that built slowly into a storm that roared out across Hammersmith Apollo.
The remaining performance featured tracks from their second album, Con Todo El Mundo like Lady and Man, and one of their first big tracks, Evan Finds the Third Room. Then, the encore. The room erupted into one big dance party, unsurprising seeing as the final two songs are impossible to not dance to, Time (You and I) from their 2020 album Mordechai and People Everywhere (Still Alive) from their debut record The Universe Smiles Upon You.
Khruangbin are cool, in the weirdest, best way. Through their impressive technical skills, synchronised dancing, and beautiful set design (and let's not forget that Grammy nomination this year), they’ve proved themselves that they are more than just a track on a coffee shop playlist.
Words by Izzy Felton
Photography by Stefania Semini
