Male Bonding, London Camden Barfly

Male Bonding

One of the main joys of Nothing Hurts, the debut album released by Male Bonding in May, was the way it effortlessly captured the spirit and speed of their live shows – a Male Bonding gig has always been a brief, chaotic affair, and the simple energy on Nothing Hurts encapsulated this perfectly, while also revealing a few of the subtleties in their music, and particularly their lyrics, that had previously just flown by too quickly.

Tonight’s gig is in Camden, a subtle shift across London for most people, but it feels more significant with this band – up until the release of the album, Male Bonding had very much stuck to East London, close to where they’re based in Dalston. But the band have roots in Camden, and tonight serves as an opportunity to see them outside of their comfort zone. Before they take the stage however, comes Philadelphia Grand Jury, an Australian trio – led by lead singer Berkfinger, the band look and sound like they this is their last chance. They start promisingly, with infectious energy, and end with an extended version of their own song ‘I Don’t Want To Party (Party)’ and a cover of Jay Z’s ’99 Problems’, where they end up in the middle of a confused but intrigued crowd.

Male Bonding follow, and it’s clear from the off that the band’s relentless touring has not blunted their power in a life setting. Drummer Robin Silas plays like his life depends on it, to the extent that his eyes seem to roll back in his head during the particularly fast songs (note to the uninitiated: all Male Bonding songs are fast), while bassists Kevin Hendrink bobs around the stage and guitarist John Arthur Webb tends to hold things together. Nothing much has changed, but there’s a simple energy to a Male Bonding show that’s difficult to resist.

There’s a couple of new songs that are scattered in amongst their current material that suggest the band are both unwilling to let up but also keen to experiment – one song has an extended intro, indicating that Male Bonding aren’t all about the short and the sweet. Overall though it’s an assured performance in a strange setting (it’s an XFM X-posure show, which can seem like a pre-record at times) that suggests they are more than ready to expand on the audience that appears to be just opening up for them. Songs like ‘TUFF’, ‘Nothing Used To Hurt’ and their irresistible finale ‘Pumpkin’ are torn through at top speed.

Every time I see this band, I’m reminded of my first Male Bonding show, and how difficult it is not to fall for their music – it’s not necessarily breaking new ground, but it’s refreshing to see a band grapple with their influences and turn them into something immediate, exciting, and, most importantly perhaps, personal.

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