Porches at Heaven
Heaven nightclub in Charing Cross hosts performances of all shapes and sizes – whether it be colourful themed DJ sets, engaging drag shows, stimulating hyper pop or smooth indie, Heaven has it all. New York-based indie rock sensation Porches arrived to celebrate his latest album, Shirt, and performed a show filled with explosive sounds that transported the crowd back to a chaotic and cathartic 90s grunge scene.
After riding the high from a bright and fun support act in the form of playful singer-songwriter MAY, Porches graced Heaven’s stage and fiercely began their set with Rag, which introduced the ferociously raw vocals of the main mind of Porches, Aaron Maine, and eased fans into hellacious drums by Max Freedberg and loaded guitar work of Dan English.
In his earlier work, Porches leaned more into a synth pop and rock hybrid sound, but the Shirt Tour reimagined old favourites to blend seamlessly with the new heavy rock genre that this new record calls home. Swarovski, Okay, Watergetsinside and Lately were great examples of this transformation, and as Porches performed each track back to back, these two once extremely contrasting styles fused into one.
Porches is a man of few words – where some artists may pause to take a breather or a sip of water, or maybe even interact with attendees, Porches jam-packed each song to let the music speak for itself. The angst of particular moments, specifically Crying at the End, was felt tenfold as the band took advantage of live instruments to elevate the original studio version by making it sharp and unbridled.
Although each song was intense lyrically and musically, there were highlights where the band demanded Heaven to have fun. Lunch, a single from Shirt, may be sad in essence, but the quick back-and-forth guitar mix between Maine and English had fans dancing rather than standing in place, simply absorbing the fiery emotions displayed by the group.
After the main set, Porches performed a hard-rock rendition of Car from his sophomore album Pool to kick off the encore. The tune melded every feeling and musical element of the night into one, making it an excellent climax to round out the gig. Country reeled the extremity back in with its sombre, slower sound, and with that, fans slowly funnelled out of Heaven and chatted high praises about their evening with Porches.
All in all, Porches’s gig at Heaven proved that he transcends genre and is capable of tackling any style he wishes. The crowd relentlessly headbanged through the night, and it is evident that live performing is where Porches stands out – the studio does not do his fervent vocals or poignant words justice.
Taryn Crowley
Photos: Virginie Viche
For further information and future events, visit Porches’s website here.
Watch the video for the single Crying at the End here:
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