If the day after a gig your body is aching and you are still singing the tracks performed during the show repeatedly, you know that it was a good one! Many days have passed since Misterwives’ appearance at the O2 Academy in Islington and still I cannot decide what made this performance so fabulous and memorable. I guess a little bit of everything that everyone in the O2 experienced that night; The band’s relentless energy, their genuinely engaging manner towards the crowd, the adept instrumental arrangements and the exceptional performance of each member. MisterWives count up to 6 members on stage and each of them gave their own show individually as well as a team performance.
The venue was full by the time MisterWives appeared on stage and started slowly singing their self-titled album track 'Our own House' that, after the first minute turned into a sonic explosion pioneered by the sound of a powerful trumpet. From the very beginning you kind of knew that this was not going to be another indie-pop show. However I believe that no one could have predicted that the band would have been rocking the place throughout the whole show with their fierce energy.
Every move seemed to be well crafted and directed in a theatrical sense without losing integrity and naturality. Mandy might be the lead singer yet every band member played their part during the show. Just after the second track 'No need for dreaming', the drummer joined Mandy on the front line for a clapping game that acted like an open invitation for the audience as well as the band to keep clapping and jumping around under the vibes of a 'special London edition' of their track 'Box around the sun'.
Well organised synths, adept guitar riffs and compelling vocals came in place with an extraordinary performance of 'Oceans'. By the time the band performed the uplifting 'Best I can do' the venue seemed to be on fire and Mandy claimed that we had her sweating!
'Hurricane' struck in as a hard rock n roll piece that almost everyone sang along to followed by the indie sounds of 'Not your way' that made everyone ecstatic. 'Confessions' was admittedly a masterpiece performance that showcased Mandy’s vocal capacity and left the audience screaming for more.
Every member performed an exhausting solo near the end but the highlight here was the trumpet and the saxophone players who gave an uprising and relentless solo part.
The band expressed its gratefulness with every opportunity and transmitted their positive energy everywhere with their dynamic presence. MisterWives, we are grateful that we had the chance to witness such a show in London. We're already looking forward to having you back soon!
Review by Eirini Gialou