Gig Review: CHVRCHES / Let’s Eat Grandma – Alexandra Palace, London (7th February 2019)

On Thursday night I went to see Scottish electro-pop trio CHVRCHES play an enormous headline show at Alexandra Palace in North London. I had been there just five days previously to see Parkway Drive, which could not have been a more different show, but life is more interesting when you mix things up a little!

Let’s Eat Grandma (c) Katie Frost

I first discovered CHVRCHES when a colleague at my day-job played their most recent album Love Is Dead in the office and I liked what I heard, especially tracks like “Miracle” and “Graffiti” which are hugely catchy. Tonight was the first show of the band’s twelve-date UK & Ireland tour (many dates of which are sold out) and I was looking forward to seeing their live show. They hadn’t quite sold out the 10,000-or so capacity venue but it must have been pretty close as there were bodies as far as the eye could see. I had expected the crowd to be largely teenage girls but there were a wide range of people all eager to have a great Thursday night bopping along to some catchy-as-hell tunes.

Opening proceedings were Norwich duo Let’s Eat Grandma who describe their sound as psychedelic sludge pop. They opened their set with “Hot Pink” from their debut album I’m All Ears, with lighting to match. Rosa and Jenny certainly put on an entertaining show which involved a lot of dancing around the stage with each-other, and even a saxophone! They played a very engaging set and I thought they were a good choice as support for this tour as they seemed to go down well with the ever-growing crowd.

CHVRCHES (c) Katie Frost

By the time CHVRCHES took to the stage the cavernous venue was packed, and there was a huge cheer from the crowd as the band took to the stage and launched straight into “Get Out”. Frontwoman Lauren wore a bright yellow dress which billowed gracefully as she did her trademark spins across the stage. Her bandmates Iain and Martin (though harder to see from behind their keyboards towards the back of a very high stage) also looked like they were having a great time, and there was a great atmosphere in the room.

The band played an impressive 18 track set featuring not only some of their most well-known tracks from Love Is Dead, but also some from their previous albums Every Open Eye and their debut album The Bones of What You Believe. CHVRCHES put on a colourful and up-beat show of hook-heavy tracks that it would have been hard not to tap your feet along to. Fancy checking them out? Tour dates can be found below, or check out their website for all the info.

Photos by Katie Frost Photography

CHVRCHES: official | facebook | instagram | twitter

Let’s Eat Grandma: official | facebook | instagram | twitter

CHVRCHES UK / Ireland Tour 2019:

  • 7 February – Alexandra Palace, London
  • 8 February – O2 Academy, Birmingham
  • 9 February – O2 Academy, Birmingham
  • 11 February – Rock City, Nottingham
  • 12 February – O2 Academy, Bournemouth
  • 14 February – Victoria Warehouse, Manchester
  • 15 February – Victoria Warehouse, Manchester
  • 16 February – SSE Hydro, Glasgow
  • 18 February – O2 Academy, Newcastle
  • 19 February – Ulster Hall, Belfast
  • 21 February – Olympia, Dublin
  • 22 February – Olympia, Dublin
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