The Kills at Troxy

The support acts preceded the inimitable Kills in what had been intentionally curated to be a climactic sequence. From slow, ambient electro-punk duo Baba Ali to the almighty, unabashed, old-school rock ’n’ roll foursome Picture Parlor, the Troxy was well primed and heated for the main act. Baba Ali set the mood with their solemnly seductive indie flare and their trance-inducing, unique sound, avouching that electronic, punk and disco music have never complemented each other quite like this before. Picture Parlour reassured their 2024 audience that raw rock music is not dead. The foursome stepped onto the stage in 70s splendour, evoking the glory days of rock ’n’ roll royalty – from Patti Smith, The Beatles, Arctic Monkeys, David Bowie to T-Rex, not to mention glitches of Amy Winehouse and Nick Cave, their musical fusion combined with their lyrical prowess create a familiar, yet foreign romanticism that has never been done before.

The Kills drove the crowd rampant as they opened with 2003 single Kissy Kissy. “It’s been a long time coming,” was the opening lyric, which seemed appropriate after Kills junkies were obliged to go cold turkey since the band’s last musical pursuit back in 2016. Glasses of water began being handed out as Doing It to Death and URA Fever charged the mosh-pit like no other songs on the setlist. The head bobbing turned into head banging as fans sang along and established their powerful bond with the artists.

The minimalist set design acted as an attestation of their musical aptitude, as it sufficed in executing a highly illustrious and compelling performance that required nothing other than Alison Mossharts velvety iron vocals and dishevelled-chic sex appeal, combined with Jamie Hince’s poignant, yet sultry guitar wizardry. The charismatic duo have an undeniable stage presence that has cultivated a cult following since their first album Keep on Your Mean Side, 21 years ago. After touring with the White Stripes, Mosshart and Hince established themselves as not merely another new wave punk rock indie band, but also as intrinsically communicative performance artists. Their chemical exchange is so conspicuous and so nourished by their talent, that it comes together to produce this signature symphonic alchemy, otherwise known as The Kills.

Charged with rawness and authenticity, their sixth album, God Games, epitomises The Kills sound. Described by Mosshart as “a seven-year diary entry” and by Hince, as “an atheist’s contemplation of God”, New York and Wasterpiece were certainly reflective of these statements as they took the crowd on their emotive seven-year journey that can only be defined as confessions of godless spirituals.