Cherub at Barfly

After two albums and an upcoming third, Cherub played their first ever gig in London last night. Stating how the day before they’d played for eight people in Manchester, in Camden they seemed to be a bit more popular: the Barfly was filled with everyone from Chad Valley to young Urban Outfitters-attired girls lining the front row, dancing as if the sun would never rise again.

It was with great energy that Cherub took to the stage. The Nashville duo, consisting of Jordan Kelley and Jason Huber, banged out their electro pop drenched in an 80s sound to a crowd warmed up by Ghost Beach and Strangers. The opening acts seemed to have done their work – the crowd were dancing and enjoying the beats sometimes more than they ought to.

With their 80s beats and farcical approach Cherub drag your thoughts to a toned-down, slightly more indie LMFAO. They brag about drugs and sex, sing lines like “you’re my baby girl, don’t you forget that shit” and choruses where the main words are “f**k that b***ch”.

Their pursuit of making party music was proven as they covered Calvin Harris’ Feel So Close: the crowd danced so hard that they made the floor bulge. Their rendition of this bland dance floor hit didn’t improve it, as Cherub made it sound just like the original version. Not a single trace of personality was wedged into the cover, which casts doubt on these guys’ musical creativity and identity. It was a shame that the song the crowd appreciated the most was the only song not their own.

Overall, the two Americans delivered a fun show with a lot of energy and contact with the audience. If only their songs had the same hit potential as the songs they are covering, their energy and humour could help them reach an audience far bigger than Barfly Camden.

Johanna Eliasson
Photo: Sean O’Kane

For further information and future events visit Cherub’s website here.

Watch the video for Doses and Mimosas here: