WOWH // HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN // LONDON
WOWH PLAY A VERY INTIMATE SHOW AT LONDON'S HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN TO END 2017 AFTER SUCCESSFUL YEAR AS NEW UPCOMING BAND
★★★★★ (5/5)
WOWH PERFORMING AT LONDON'S HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN - 05/12/2017
PICTURE BY: NICOLE S RUSHWORTH PHOTOGRAPHY
After discovering Wowh at Glastonbury earlier this year, and then seeing them twice across the weekend, it was an utter must to go see them in their own headline show at Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen. Wowh, or We Only Write Hits, are swiftly on their way to great success. Compromised of Nick Harrison and Toby Couling, they formed last year in Forest Hill.
Their music is funky, soulful, utterly groovy, and very, very catchy. They have spent time honing their sound, it’s instantly recognisable and stands out from the music of today’s charts. Blending harmonies, synthesisers, and cowbells with a dash of big band and fantastic lyrics they have been stuck in my head for days.
From start to finish the night was made for good times and dancing. With supports coming from Tommy Ashby and Kylypso, it was an evening of fantastic new music.
Opening with ‘Zone’ Wowh lived up to their acronym. It’s a great opener, and the audience were loving it. As the song goes, ‘focus on me’ and the crowd certainly were. Singing the words back at the boys, who clearly are in disbelief at people knowing the lyrics they’ve written. Their excitement is palpable, like electricity zipping around the room. A small room in Shoreditch or the Rabbit Hole at Glastonbury, they are made for the stage.
Their current single, Early Hours, is catchy with a beat that just makes me want to move my feet. It catches the personality of the duo, especially with the recently released video which is well worth a watch.
Every song they play is a total banger, for lack of a better phrase. They are fun, it’s modern music but the sounds they draw influence from give it an utter timelessness. Their music is a soundtrack for a good night, from getting ready, to having a boogie, to coming home.
It is clear that they are both instrumentalists, comfortable around music, and incredibly talented. From a tease of the fan favourite ‘Girl in Fashion’ and the use of a vocoder for the Waves intro. It’s a carefully curated performance. There’s not one dull moment. For the second half of the set they are joined on stage by a backing band and brass section. When every single person on stage looks like they are having fun, rocking out, and generally having an amazing time, how can you not get sucked into the fun?
By the end of the night the stage was packed out, joined on stage by Deacon for ‘Pack Up Your Bag’ there were some stunning dance moves - choreographed in the moment. Ending on ‘The Overdrive’ they left people dancing well after the lights had come up. Without a doubt, Wowh are ones to watch over 2018. Their music is worth checking out, their first physical EP release came out in October and their new single, Need to Dance, is being released on Friday 8th December now is a better time than ever to find discover new band you will certainly love.
Setlist:
Zone
Early Hours
The Hits
Girl In Fashion
Lipstick
Right Way
Waves
3D
Suffer
For The Record
Need To Dance
Pack Up Your Bag (feat. Deacon)
The Overdrive