BDRMM live review by Ryan Beardsley in London
Winter is here, it’s bloody freezing and as the last few tourists and early Christmas shoppers scuttle around Oxford Street stopping me from walking at a brisk pace, sanctuary is just in sight. The beloved 100 Club, where many of the biggest bands this country has ever produced have made their mark, is warm and welcoming, and tonight (last night too) it’s the turn of BDRMM to make this hallowed stage their own.
Hull’s finest head out to a somewhat muted atmosphere, genuinely I can’t remember being at a gig where you could hear a pin drop between songs and it was almost reminiscent of a classical concert during intervals between tracks. It was either a case of hushed respect for the band or the result of a bunch of older people (I’m old too) on their best behaviour on a school night, still, rather that than a pint chucked on your head.
Kicking off with Momo, track 1 side 1 from their 2020 debut Bedroom, it’s a pulsating start that shakes the audience out of their stupor and reminds me why the band played such a significant role in the great shoegaze revival of the last 5 years. Followed by Push/Pull, frontman Ryan Smith is unassuming and diligent across vocals, guitar and synths, leading the band like a conductor keeping everyone tight as a drum.
Then it’s time to mix it up, their latest release, this year’s Microtonic saw the band pivot towards the electronic in that Kid A thing that bands do after they’ve ‘completed’ their original genre. I can’t fault them for this, after two outstanding shoegaze records they had to look elsewhere for inspiration.
Infinity Peaking and Standard Tuning do just that, the atmosphere and the energy in the club immediately shifts and the crowd come alive, before John On The Ceiling goes full drum and bass, and the band are suddenly reminiscent of a group of students after their first pill, whereas Microtonic cools things back to in an ambient fashion before it goes full new wave/experimental.
As intriguing and commendable this new direction is, predictably the show excels when they draw from their first record, Gush reflects everything great and unique about BDRMM, the subtleties, the focus on textures rather than big hooks and massive choruses.
But it’s oft overlooked sophomore record I Don’t Know that provides the highlight of the night, Be Careful with it’s ominous warnings of ‘be careful of yourself, prepare for something else’ provides a nod to their subsequent change of musical direction before It’s Just A Bit Of Blood pulsates through the 100 Club and the band go for broke, racing into a chorus that has the whole place bouncing.
Everyone here tonight has been lucky to see such a talented band in such a small, intimate venue but the sounds are big, the ambition is clearly there to match and I can’t wait to see BDRMM across some bigger stages next summer.
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