An Evening at The Lexington
By Tom Ratcliffe
Located in Finsbury in North London, The Lexington is a classic pub with a modern twist. The exterior would suggest your standard pub, but the chandeliers and whiskey bar within set the tone for anything but a standard experience. The Lexington was chosen as one of twenty venues to host music during the London Pitchfork Music Festival, and there is truly not a better venue for it.
The night began with the performance of That Band Called Susan, a band whose name is wildly at odds with their sound - which (per our interview) is exactly the effect they wished to create. It was a chaotic set with an impressive stage presence from both sides of the duo, with the wild mannerisms of the lead singer and the powerful drumming style that the drummer credits to the influence of Queens of the Stone Age and the noise punk stylings of Brighton-based band Ditz. The impressive and entertaining set was rounded off by 'Attic'; a song that perfectly encapsulated the energy that That Band Called Susan had been exuding for the entirety of their performance. The song takes the perspective of a crazy, "pissed up" driver, detailing how he could have killed a family, but chose not to. Although lyrically and conceptually dark, the performance was phenomenal and rounded off an excellent set.
City Dog were next on the bill; a three-piece group from Brighton specialising, once again, in chaos. Not for the faint of heart, the three managed to match the intensity of That Band Called Susan, delivering their own unique brand of punk-grunge. Drawing on Canadian band Metz, the drums had a powerful but "scatty" sound that led each song exceedingly well. When paired with the julie-esque chords this created an 'organised chaos' which translated into memorable and impressive songs. City Dog's use of pedals was also notable, using a channel splitter to run into two amps to create both the bass and lead guitar. This, as the band explained to me a slight walk away from the cramped outdoor smoking area, was because they had previously toured in Europe without a bassist as he was sitting his Maths A-Level. This unique set-up added a stronger and fuller sound that was noticeable throughout the set and has all the hallmarks of becoming a signature set-up for the band moving forward. At the time of writing, the band was preparing to embark on a UK tour - one which will no doubt generate even more following for the trio if their performances are anywhere near as strong as that night at The Lexington.
Headlining the evening was PROJECTOR - another Brighton-based band with a commanding stage presence and strong drums. Contrary to City Dog and That Band Called Susan, PROJECTOR’s drummer draws his style from Techno. Citing clubs such as Fold and Ormside Projects as strong influences. The Techno influence is evident in live performance, with varying tempos and a particularly prominent kick. Having described themselves in our interview as a "punk band with melodies", the dual melodic vocals took PROJECTOR in a different direction to That Band Called Susan and City Dog. The differences in pitch and tone led to a more industrial-sounding performance, and having two strong vocalists created a musical chemistry that translated into their work. A crowd favourite, PROJECTOR earned their headline spot.
All three bands praised The Lexington as a venue, as both a place to perform and attend. The crowd was reliably enthusiastic, and the stage space was large and permissive. As a gig-goer, The Lexington is the perfect space for those intimate, energetic sets, - and all three bands brought the venue to life. While I may never become fully comfortable with the price of a pint in London, I was than happy to make an exception, just this once, for The Lexington.