By Darren Grayer.
After releasing their third studio album The Prettiest Curse in 2020, Spanish indie rockers Hinds were ironically hit with indifferent fortunes. The band split, losing their rhythm section, then parted company with their management and record label. That left founding members, Carlotta Cosials and Ana Garcia Perotte, contemplating what the future would hold next for them.
Like most young bands the pandemic had hit them financially, and for a moment they thought about calling it a day, but the feeling was that they had to carry on and make things turn around by doing what they love to do most.
The Madrileña girl’s steely determination has paid huge dividends, with a triumphant return that has seen them release album number four, Viva Hinds, to much critical acclaim, last September. It’s packed with uplifting guitar driven pop and includes collaborations with none other than Beck and Grian Chatten of Fontaines DC, and Southampton’s Papillion is the perfect venue for Hinds to showcase it.
Hinds’ gigs are notorious for their party atmosphere, and you can sense that feeling starting to build among a crowd of varying ages as they anticipate the band’s arrival. They certainly hit the ground running with Hi, How Are You, the opening track from Viva Hinds, quickly followed by 2018 single The Club, with its wonderfully skewed guitar intro. In fact, the first 20 minutes or so of the set absolutely gallops along. Last year’s comeback single Coffee and its follow up, the dancefloor riff driven Boom Boom Back, obviously without Beck, get the crowd nodding along appreciatively.
Carlotta takes a break in between songs to announce this is the band’s second time playing in Southampton and there are a lot more people in the room than their first visit in 2018.
The pace slows just briefly for closing track on Viva Hinds, Bon Voyage, before normality is resumed with more from the album, as well as covering global pop phenomenon Charlie xcx’s Girl, So Confusing. The wonderfully thumping En Forma highlights Carlotta and Ana’s gloriously rousing vocals and Stranger serves to show just what seamless additions new bass player Paula Ruiz, and drummer Maria Lazaro are. Ruiz in particular shows off her beautiful vocals in filling in for Fontaines man Chatten from the recorded version of the song.
Spanish Bombs by The Clash has been a long-time inclusion in the Hinds live shows. It could be the reference to their homeland, or it could just be the band wearing their influences on their sleeves. Probably a touch of both.
2020 single, Good Bad Times tells of doubts within a relationship, but it really is the sweetest of pop songs that is delivered perfectly.
The set draws to a close by Hinds inviting the two leading members of young Swedish support band, Clutter, up on stage, to play Thee Headcoatees garage rock classic, Davey Crocket.
This frees up Ana and Carlotta to finish the show in the most entertaining way possible. As the song starts Ana climbs on to Carlotta’s shoulders. They both sing before Ana dismounts and both girls climb over the barriers to join the audience and kick off the most euphoric sing/dance along you could wish to see.
The obvious bond between the two is a joy. You could be totally forgiven for thinking they were blood related, and I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking that it hopefully lasts a very long time.
As the music finishes everyone is reunited back on stage and they all take a bow before breaking out into a quick disco freakout as Martin Solveig’s anthemic Hello blasts out from the PA.
As I leave Papillon I’m already thinking about how I describe such a wonderful evening and the smile on my face feels wider than the Solent. Southampton currently has so much to offer for its music loving community.
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