Sleigh Bells

“Respect the wristbands”, says Teeth’s Veronica and that’s what tonight is all about. A highly publicised free show for Sleigh Bells and Teeth has meant only a limited amount of the punters who looped the Old Blue outside have made it in. Looking at the bouncer brandishing a clip board with about half a pad of A4 paper on it for the guestlist, we can see why. Inevitably there’s actually plenty of room upstairs in the Old Blue; considering the amount of people wanting to get in, it’s hard to fathom why they’re holding out for a guest list that’s never going to turn up. Entry aside, tonight is a super hot show in every way; Teeth and Sleigh Bells are two of the best and hottest tipped electro clash acts around and the OBL is already soaked in sweat.

Dalston’s Teeth are always a local live favourite as their crashing beats have the feel more of a hardcore show than the ice cold electro you’d expect from the trio. But, apart from the man in the Hawaiian shirt serenading his girlfriend with some seriously awkward primary school disco side to side dancing, most of the crowd remain frustratingly glued to the floor. But, Teeth don’t give in as Veronica, dressed in tie dye jeans and a shirt that looks like a toddler's image of Earth, hyperactively pogos on the spot from foot-to-foot to beat of the menacing whirr of ‘Time Changes’. Meanwhile Ximon shows how you can rock out with a mac book, clutching it with one palm and lunging forward with every stroke of the key pad. Despite, the crowd still playing musical statues, Teeth pound away with every shot of their trademark throbbing beats. The ethereal climbing synth shimmer of, ‘See Spaces’, finally gets a brave few breaking rank and moving, before the next raging screamo track sees Veronica actually leap down into the crowd to provoke a reaction. Teeth, no matter the audience, are a band who will always have a good time.

Bathed in hellish red lighting as beads of sweat drip from our brows, Sleigh Bells' Alexis and Derek take the stage to thunderous death metal, looking like two championship boxers entering the ring for the final slugs in a knock out match. Alexis, eyes the crowd through her cat like glare throughout the soaring stars and stripes riff of ‘Tell ‘Em’. Although, the sound suffers as the OBL’s battered PA robs it of some of its impact, the building decibels of ‘Infinity Guitars Throws’ cuts straight through and finally gets the crowd moving. ‘A/B Machines’ ranks ups the momentum as Alexis flicks water into the crowd as a mini mosh pit erupts.

Working their way through most of debut album Treats, Alexis and Derek heighten its noise and intensity with their undeniable chemistry. He smashes out each cutting riff raising his arm above his head in a windmill action, whilst Alexis headbangs with the tips of her jet black hair just visible form the back as she lurches and crouches down towards the crowd like a predator weighing up its prey.

‘Kids’ is removed of all its lyrical sweetness as Alexis unleashes a high pitch deafening squeals, and the hip hop in ‘Riot Rhythm’ is exposed as Alexis virtually raps to the hard beats. Alexis’ stage presence really comes through, as Derek disappears and only accompanied by the backing, she takes someone from the front row’s glasses and gets the crowd swaying along to the sugary pop of, ‘Rill Rill’- the only quiet breath in an exhausting set. The calm is broken swiftly by the metal freakout of ‘Straight As’, before ‘Crown On The Ground’ closes a sweat-drenched euphoric evening in a mass singalong.