Live review: Purity Ring in Gothenburg
Felix Englund Örn caught Purity Ring in Gothenburg for somethingyousaid.com:
With one helluva day, filled with apparently hot-wiring the tour bus as well as picking up broken pieces after the rear end fell off, Purity Ring made it to play their second show in Gothenburg in one piece. When they played Annedalskyrkan (a church near the festival grounds of Way Out West) back in 2012, Purity Ring was an anticipated but minor appearance at a mid-sized festival. They were now back with another album and a headline show at everyone’s favourite corner concert/club/bar hangout, Pustervik.
Adorning the stage, even before any band had appeared, was a jungle of cords hanging from steel rod mounted on the ceiling, like massive beaded curtains. The anticipation of Purity Ring’s light show had already begun. Corin Roddick’s crystal rod “drums” were in a black cover. That moon in the background. And some strange light contraption looking like a folding fan. The pieces were set but the function hidden. And it wasn’t even until a few songs into Purity Ring’s show that we got our first piece of the puzzle. A warm glow emanating from what must be at least a 100 little lights enshrined Megan James and Corin Roddick on stage as the jungle of cords lit up. Making a two-piece band fill up an entire stage.
With a lot of things going on, it would seem their light show might up getting to be a little much or too stilted in execution. But each transition and each little reveal of the pieces on stage were a true delight (and I won’t reveal more, so as not to spoil anything). In accordance with the duo’s moody and cavernous bass from debut album “Shrines” and the more poppy sound from their sophomore follow up, “Another Eternity” the light show worked for both. Creating an auditory and visual splendour as Megan, singing, walked among the lights and Corin hit those crystal drums that lit up so pleasingly.
All in all, Purity Ring’s set was a marvel to watch and fun to listen to. The new songs hit harder and worked better live than on record to my subjective ears. Whilst the old ones were a delight to watch/hear in the new get up the duo has fashioned for themselves.
Go in blind. Be illuminated. Smile & dance. Go see purity Ring Live.
Review by Felix Englund Örn.
