INDOOR PETS // THE BORDERLINE, LONDON
NEW NAME, NEW MATERIAL: INDOOR PETS BRING THE PARTY TO LONDON VENUE THE BORDERLINE
INDOOR PETS PERFORMING AT THE BORDERLINE, LONDON - 22.02.18
PICTURE: NICOLE RUSHWORTH PHOTOGRAPHY
★★★★☆
Indoor Pets - formerly known as Get Inuit - are back with a new name and new material. Still playing their old songs but delighting audiences with their brash and fun new tunes makes for an entertaining evening. After announcing the new name and with a seven date UK tour to match it was only right to go see the boys at The Borderline in London.
Opening the night was the Kent based band Eat Me, describing themselves as “Mating the likes of 90s Weezer, Pavement and Dino Jr with snotty Brit rock, whilst taking queues from the 70’s prog, glam and pub jams your dad used to spin in the living room when you were a kid. WE WANT SLADE!” It’s easy to see what they were aiming for. Lively and enthusiastic, they have the energy of a band locked up in their parent’s garage impatiently waiting to be let loose on the world. Bringing the skater rock of the 90s to central London their opening set was a delight for those who braved the cold to arrive early.
Next on the bill were Brighton based Orchards, and that’s like the fruit not the flower. Already heralded by the likes of Clash Magazine and Indie Shuffle, they are an alt pop band with math rock influences who could easily be the next Chvrches or The Naked and Famous. Their bio states they are a “glittery gateway drug” and that sums them up perfectly. Their sound and aesthetic is perfectly quirky and makes me want to go shopping for pastel colours and vintage sportswear. Their latest single Darling is now available on Youtube and has racked up over 19,000 views in the last four months.
Their melodies are complex in classic math rock style but with a glittery, sparkly overcoat that makes their sound harmonious with the current cultural landscape.
On the “newest” band on the line up but the one everyone was there for was the titular Indoor Pets. Opening with 2015’s ‘Mean Heart’ it only took a mere few chords to get the crowd jumping. Mosh pits were a go from the starts with dancing and singing along. The band were on form from the get go, ready to rock and bring their high pitched guitars and soaring riffs to The Borderline. It was power pop at it’s finest. Going straight into ‘Electrify’ there was a slightly darker tone but it kept the audience desperately wanting more.
Not shying away from their change of name they proudly called themselves a new band with old material. With the name dropped for an equally alternative they weren’t going to let something like their name stand in their way.
Their new material delivers live as well, with dancey bass paired with a distinct indie sound ‘So Soon’ is definitely worth a listen. The single ‘All My Friends’ was the last single they released as Get Inuit and it is clearly a crowd favourite. Their sound is continuous flow that has distinct stylings, somewhat like the Beach Boys with hints of surfer rock and then powerful 90s grunge which is especially noticeable in ‘Teriyaki’. The band were consistently on form with an irrefutable stage presence, they were feeding off the audience and the audience in return were happy to oblige.
Closing the set with ‘Pro Procrastinator’ the dancefloor was in full party mode. With confetti and crowd surfers they ended on a true high, with a sizeable load of the audience stage diving it looked like their were more feet in the air than hands. Crowd singalongs and chanting along to the chorus it was a roaring good time. The underground cavern of The Borderline was filled from floor to ceiling infectious guitar driven power pop from start to finish.
Ending their first UK tour as Indoor Pets it is clear that a new name only means things are looking up with the band not letting anything hold them back. Without question, it sure looks like 2018 and beyond will be an exciting time for the Kent quartet.
INDOOR PETS SETLIST: THE BORDERLINE, LONDON - 22nd February 2018
Mean Heart
Electrify
All My Friends
Coping with Death in a Nutshell
Tread The Water
Teriyaki
I Say A Little Prayer (Aretha Franklin cover)
I Am the Hot Air
So Soon
On and On
Barbiturates
Pro Procastinator