“We haven’t played this city in three fucking years,” Electric Guest frontman Asa Taccone declares to their East London audience. ‘…So to sell it out as quickly as you did.. We really appreciate it.’
The appreciation appears to be mutual among the full-capacity crowd in Shoreditch’s Village Underground. The mood in the room mirrors its audio accompaniment in positivity and humour, with society’s full spectrum turning out to enjoy the festivities.
Electric Guest are touring their third album, Kin – their first release since Taccone co-wrote Portugal. The Man’s global hit ‘Feel It Still’. Kin is a natural addition to the band’s existing discography; unashamedly pop vocals surf on a tide of sugary synths, with the celebration of youth integral to the band’s output.
Tracks from the quartet’s most recent LP, which came out in October, land with this audience with just as much assurance and excitement as their older hits. Recent single ‘Dollar‘ appears early in the set, with a sentiment that is at the heart of what Electric Guest do; “Turn the music up and get it poppin’, I’m trying to have some fun before I die.”
As the set progresses, Taccone arms himself with a t-shirt cannon from the side of the stage, before blasting clothing into the faces of the excited crowd. This evening, which was already tongue-in-cheek, just got a whole lot more cheesy, loud and, well, Californian.
As Electric Guest reach the outro to new track ’24 – 7’, the frontman reaches once again to the side of the stage, this time to collect a bunch of roses that Asa proceeds to hand out to the front row.
The set wraps at around an hour, which feels like a natural point at which to finish, before the familiar pop tunes begin to become monotonous.
One of music’s great services to the world is the gift of escapism, and there is plenty for the British to escape from currently. As Electric guest exit the stage, each wearing the tightest of white jeans, they leave a great mood in their wake.
This isn’t music that will change the world, one audience member described the sound as “somewhere between Years & Years and Mika” – which may or may not have been intended as a compliment.
Tonight’s undoubtedly pop-timistic performance has, however, treated a sub-zero East London to a real sense of joy. As well as high-velocity merchandise.
