Brighton-based group Porridge Radio have recently gained critical acclaim, following a coveted Mercury Prize nomination for their Every Bad record. Ali Glen offers his thoughts on their performance at the intimate venue, The Metronome.
Porridge Radio have carved out a space for themselves in the rejuvenated landscape of
British alternative music, with their brand of unrelentingly anxious yet simultaneously
anthemic indie leading them to a well-deserved Mercury Prize nomination with their
sophomore record Every Bad. Now, fresh off the back of their third studio album Waterslide,
Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky, the Brighton-based group transfixed the Metronome with
a powerful setlist showcasing the best of their latest effort.
Following support from Memory of Speke and ALASKALASKA, Porridge Radio took to the
stage, backed by the Spice Girls classic Stop, a track wonderfully unbefitting of the sound
that the 400-strong crowd would be treated to in the next hour. Indeed, this juxtaposition was
immediately evident in the opener, Every Bad’s first song Born Confused. Just from this
song alone, frontwoman Dana Margolin’s performance style was laid bare for all to see.
Margolin is not one for engaging in small talk with the audience, but this should not be
mistaken for a lack of stage presence. Instead, she held the audience’s attention with the
absolute commitment to the songs that she crafted, not only through her emotive vocal style,
but also the looks of anguish on her face whilst singing the track’s recurring mantra, “Thank
you for leaving me, thank you for making me happy”. As she drained her spirit in the name of
providing this song, and many of the others, with the strength of feeling she felt they
deserved, there were moments in which I was sincerely concerned for her wellbeing. It was
captivating, witnessing a woman seemingly emotionally exhaust herself within her own
songs, before snapping back to reality once the final notes hit.
Margolin was, of course, supported by stellar performances from the rest of the band.
Porridge Radio’s songs naturally tend towards a very distinctive textural richness that often
brings different elements of the mix to the forefront - an effect the band recreated and added
to this sound with relative ease, from Birthday Party’s cascading drums, to Georgie Stott’s
jaunty keyboard work on Jealousy. All the while, both Stott and bassist Maddie Ryall
provided clean vocal harmonies, acting as a fantastic ying to the yang of Margolin’s strained
and deliberately imperfect tones.
"Just from this song alone, frontwoman Dana Margolin’s performance style was laid bare for all to see. Margolin is not one for engaging in small talk with the audience, but this should not be mistaken for a lack of stage presence."
Whilst the group is usually only a four-piece, Nottingham was treated to a surprise
appearance from violinist Maria Marzaioli, who worked on the latest album with the band, but
is not typically a touring member. Her presence was keenly felt throughout the gig, with her
perform ance adding an extra layer to so many of the songs, especially U Can Be Happy If U
Want To and the closer to the main set, Waterslide’s lead single Back To The Radio. My
sister, an avid violinist herself, was particularly enraptured by her exploits, and later informed
me that Marzaioli was her highlight of the whole night.
As a venue, Metronome was somewhat of an awkward fit for the post-punk group in that,
whilst some of the slower tracks on the setlist absolutely transfixed the audience in a spine-
tingling manner, the more lively moments in the show left the audience in an uncomfortable
position in which they were unsure whether it was appropriate to be jumping around with
unrestrained enthusiasm. At the end of Lilac, Every Bad’s crashing centrepiece, Margolin
seemed somewhat confused by the lack of movement in the crowd, eventually attributing it
to the gig falling on a Monday. The clearest example of the differences in reception of these
two contrasting types of song fell in the encore, which opened with the bare and minimalist
title track to Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky. Performed only by Margolin and
Stott, the song was a breathtaking exhibition of the best of Porridge Radio; a band who can
make every hair on your body stand on edge with only the simplest compositions.
On the other hand, the night’s finale, Sweet, sadly displayed the more troubled side of the
band’s attempt to win over Metronome. Before the track, Margolin declared to the crowd that
“if you want to mosh, now’s the time!” - a statement that was met with laughter from corners
of the audience. Despite this, some more enthusiastic members did attempt to follow her
instructions, albeit comically unsuccessfully to the point that the band spent a lot of the
remaining song giggling their way through it. Whilst this reaction (or lack thereof) to the set’s
more raucous numbers was not Porridge Radio’s fault intrinsically, it did show somewhat of
an inability to tailor their show to the room that they were faced with. Perhaps this is
unsurprising, given that the group rose to prominence during the pandemic, and thus are
obviously less experienced with handling rooms of all shapes and sizes than other bands at
the same point in their lifespan. Nonetheless, this is something they can easily tailor, and
should be nothing to worry about for the south coast outfit, as it was merely a small
dampener to what was otherwise a brilliant tour through their highly acclaimed discography.
Ali Glen
Edited by: Jodie Averis
Cover image courtesy of The Independent.
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