Words: Amy Perdoni | Image: Jake Pygott-Barnes

Fresh from touring across the pond, art-rock virtuosos Black Country, New Road return home for two dazzling shows in London.

Loveable indie post-rockers Black Country, New Road have been pretty busy this year. Between completing an extensive North American tour and setting off to play a dozen or so European dates to close off the month, they also stopped off at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire to play two sold-out back-to-back shows. These were their first London headline gigs since releasing the highly acclaimed live album, Live At Bush Hall, earlier this year.

Live At Bush Hall marks the group’s third LP comprising a handful of sweet and sour rock and chamber pop songs – from joyful and vigorous full-band moments to mythical storytelling and arcane ballads. This was their first release without former frontman Isaac Wood who left the band in January 2022 on account of his mental wellbeing. This new material written after his departure still gracefully ticks all of the right boxes. And as they were written to be played live, tonight’s stage is where they shine brightest.

The enthrallingly eccentric Ugly kicked off the show, as another post-punk group emerging from Brixton’s esteemed Windmill scene, this support act feels highly appropriate. Effortlessly sailing between harmonic acapella and moments of pure chaos, it’s easy to imagine this group as BCNR’s very own successors in years to come. Around quarter past nine, the members of Black Country, New Road appear. Six twenty-somethings with drinks in hands and in shabby-chic dress, ready to celebrate another very special evening. From left to right of the stage it’s May Kershaw (piano), Georgia Ellery (violin), Charlie Wayne (drums), Luke Mark (guitar), Tyler Hyde (bass), and Lewis Evans (saxophone) who all take turns on vocals.

The magnitude of an opener like ‘Up Song’ is immeasurable. The whole venue seems to light up in delight. The crowd is infected by the exuberating spirit of instruments rising and falling to their iconic screamable refrain: “Look at what we did together / BC,NR friends forever.” Scattered amongst the set are a few unreleased fan favourites, but it’s the Live At Bush Hall tracks that offer the best catharsis. The Tyler-lead, emotionally direct ‘I Won’t Always Love You’ gradually builds up and implodes on itself, the same goes for May’s dark fairy-tale tear-jerker ‘Turbines/Pigs’ later in the evening – spanning just short of ten minutes long. The crowd stays impeccably focused throughout, as if under a magical reverie imposed by May’s ethereal performance itself. Lewis’ ‘Across The Pond Friend’ is much more light-hearted, even making for a brief sing-along from the crowd who’ve kept fairly quiet tonight. Perhaps, it’s because all attention can’t be fixated anywhere else but on the performers, whose show feels like a spirited parade saluting their artistic achievements and cohesion – a buzzing celebration of tight-knit musicianship to be admired.

Black Country, New Road have made it evident on tour that they are a band who excel best performing for an audience. There is an added kick- a heightened and wild vulnerability to the live delivery of their music and it’s a noteworthy quality of theirs. One that’s built them up to where they stand today. Simply put, they are one of the best and most fascinating live talents British music has to its name right now. This bewitching set closes off with the sedating Up Song Reprise, all spotlights turning to face a sparkling silver disco ball atop the stage – showering the band with spinning flecks of light as they play their last notes and utter their last words of the evening. Taking their final drink and final bow, it’s goodnight from Black Country, New Road as they leave to plunge into their EU tour in just a couple of days. But no doubt they’ll be back to mesmerise this London crowd once again. As Tyler herself emphasised, this is their home and there’s no place like it.

Live At Bush Hall is out now via Ninja Tune