Last evening (February 9), Squid debuted tracks from their upcoming second album ‘O Monolith’ throughout a one-off headline present at London’s SCALA. See pictures, footage and the setlist under.
- READ MORE: Squid on the duvet: “I don’t think people take us seriously enough to think we’re ‘pretentious’”
As introduced this week, the band’s second album will arrive on June 9 through WARP. They launched the follow-up to 2021’s acclaimed ‘Bright Green Field’ with lead single ‘Swing (In A Dream)’.
Squid had been initially set to headline SCALA in April 2020, following the discharge of their 2019 EP ‘Town Centre’ – tracks from which had been notably absent final evening. Slated to be their first London headline present, the gig was rescheduled by means of the lockdowns and quickly scrapped, giving strategy to an up to date touring schedule round ‘Bright Green Field’, earlier than announcing their eventual arrival on the King’s Cross venue.
Almost three years later, the band lastly appeared at SCALA to provide followers a primary have a look at ‘O Monolith’ – debuting a extra complicated, intentionally avant-garde incarnation of Squid.
Aside from lead vocalist and drummer Ollie Judge, every band member moved between a number of devices through the meticulously-choreographed set. The tracks had been moreover fortified by touring percussionist Zands Duggan, biking by means of an array of congas, shakers and triangles.
The set opened with ‘Undergrowth’ – a melodic reduce from ‘O Monolith’, driving in direction of a melancholic last act during which guitarist Louis Borlase moved to synths, and keyboardist Arthur Leadbetter switched to cello. Next got here ‘O Monolith’s noir-ish nearer ‘If You Had Seen the Bull’s Swimming Attempts You Would Have Stayed Away’. This noticed Laurie Nankivell’s bass slink by means of a storm of percussion, with Borlase utilizing a guiro, Leadbetter taking on a cowbell, and the Duggan taking to a small, chest-mounted washboard.
Having met these new tracks with rapt consideration, the group erupted in welcoming ‘Bright Green Field’ spotlight ‘G.S.K.’. Following this with new observe ‘Devil’s Den’, Squid appeared to level to ‘O Monolith’s grander musical scope. Led by an eery half-croon from Judge, and sustained synths recalling the strings from ‘Tehellim Pt. I’ by Steve Reich (the band’s said enthusiasm for Reich is extra evident in these new songs), this observe’s sudden structural shifts palpably caught the room off-guard – incomes the most important applause up to now.
The stage then went quiet for a trumpet solo by Nankivell, looped into the opening sequence of latest observe – and clear set-highlight amongst followers – ‘After The Flash’. Driving in direction of a stunning ascending synth line, paying homage to Samuel Barber’s ‘Adagio For Strings’, this appeared to be a band’s favorite as nicely – its members bouncing by means of its triumphant crescendo.
Returning to play synthesisers, Nankivell, Borlase and guitarist Anton Pearson delivered a sprawling digital piece, marked within the setlist as ‘Fieldworks’. “That one’s from the third album” Judge stated. “Fuck knows when that’s going to come out.”
With Judge’s announcement “this one’s called ‘Houseplants’,” the band broke into ‘Bright Green Field’ observe ‘Narrator’ – the one earlier single within the set, and closest the viewers acquired to these pre-album tracks. The set closed with ‘O Monolith’s newly-released lead single ‘Swing (In A Dream)’.
The ever-terrific Squid enjoying new stuff at The Scala this night. @squidbanduk #squidband pic.twitter.com/pT1GliTYP8
— Toby Cotton (@TobiasCotton) February 9, 2023
Squid, on the Scala
A promised gig. A band with thrilling concepts set out in an album but to be launched. And a “hit” single the viewers will shout for and be ignored.
A pandemic and three years later, and we’re in a lot the identical place.
I used to be late, however what I noticed was very fulfilling. pic.twitter.com/oKuNlRYksi— El Turko (@steventurko) February 10, 2023
Squid tonight at Scala, what a gig, a lot power and so ridiculously gifted, fully good#squid #omonolith #moshpit #scala #livemusic pic.twitter.com/TTrYvjSxaA
— VeryNearlyHalfWitted (@BoysKeepSwingin) February 9, 2023
Squid Played:
‘Undergrowth’
‘If You Had Seen the Bull’s Swimming Attempts You Would Have Stayed Away’
‘G.S.K.’
‘Bank’
‘Devil’s Den’
‘After The Flash’
‘Peel St’
‘Documentary Filmmaker’
‘Fieldworks’
‘Narrator’
‘Swing (In A Dream)’
Squid will even embark on a brand new tour in October, following a summer time of competition dates. Tickets will go on sale from 10am on February 16 and might be obtainable right here.
Squid will play:
October 2023
13 – Bristol, SWX
14 – Bristol, SWX
16 – Birmingham, Town Hall
17 – Leeds, O2 Academy
18 – Manchester, New Century
21 – Glasgow, Barrowland Ballroom
22 – Newcastle, Boiler Shop
November 2023
1 – London, Troxy
In a five-star evaluate of ‘Bright Green Field’, NME stated: “From their very earliest material, it was clear to tell that Squid would only be able to truly fulfil their potential when given the canvas of an album, on which to tell a story that ebbs and flows at a pace and route that they dictate. ‘On Bright Green Field’, in all of its weird, frantic and fantastic glory, they’ve gone above and beyond.”