Gig Review: Folly Group At Scala
Folly Group's debut gig at Scala delivers an electrifying fusion of danceable beats and brooding melodies, leaving the audience captivated.
It feels strange saying that Folly Group’s debut only came out this year. Its even stranger realising that they weren’t fully formed before the pandemic, releasing their first single in 2021. I put it down to the infinite time loop that was the pandemic, making it seem that this band has been around for a lot longer than the actuality.
‘Down There' was an instant favourite upon first listen, for its instantly danceable and darkly themed sound. The moodiness and grey established throughout the span of ‘Down There’ is crafted to broody bass lines, satisfying percussion, meandering guitar lines, and provoking vocal performances.
Which brings me to Scala on a Thursday evening, a beauty of a venue, conveniently in sight as you leave Kings Cross Station, with its history and red neon sign standing before those who populate N1. Waiting around for your brother on one of the only decently warm nights of the year isn’t so bad.
It was surprisingly diverse in terms of age and race which might not matter in the grand scheme of things but as a black woman attending shows in London (for bands who play The Windmill, Shacklewell Arms, you know what I mean), more often than not, you can count us on one hand. It's refreshing seeing what audience is drawn to their sound, radio six dads stood on the upper platform, a gaggle of aunties stood not too far behind me, A group of young girls by my side as well as the usual demographic (no shade intended).
In missing the first opening act, we were lucky to catch some of ‘pencil’s performance that left a powerful impression on the crowd, friends looking to one another in approval of what we were hearing. Although we spent a short time with them and we would regret our lack of punctuality, the introduction of ‘pencil’ was enough to be sold. In an earnest yet annoying-to-my-friends-around-me way, I later send links out to their music like the A&R woman I’ve become, with a mission statement to recruit them all into fans before their next gig.
Folly Group would follow shortly after, swiftly setting themselves up before commencing the enthral of high energy for the next hour. At the helm of a great live act, all my favourite parts of the group coming to life in front of me. As a Cowbell enthusiast, I was hugely satisfied in the masterclass of percussion that ensued throughout the show. The switching between Harper and Akinde Hummel is just another humble showboat of the band’s musicianship and gift. Louis Milburn's guitar performance sews the music together, between stretched out chords that add to the atmospherics and no wave style of playing (Josef K comes to mind). Doherty’s bass underpins the grooves and the music’s intentions, whether it be the more verbose rock found on tracks like ‘I’ll Do What I Can’ or the walking bass line of 'Butt No Rifle’, I find myself following his rhythm for the entirety of the gig.
The setlist is a great balance of new material and harking back to the early days, placed surreptitiously throughout the set. Here, ‘Fashionista’ is played at a faster pace to the original single yet still brings about an inherent mood, a posturing of cool that is ever so sexy and hypnotic. Album closer ‘Frame’ is even more haunting live, the vocals submerged in a penultimate cacophony.
My brother, during the first third of the gig. Asks if i just saw that. Saw what? Someone just put something that looks like acid in their mouth. He's unable to point the culprit out so a I move on from this. The person next to me, however, starts making his presence known in big gestures in realtion to the lyrics. It can’t be definite that this was the said person who took acid, but I pinned it onto him regardless. Desperate for others to join, chose in a conservative area where we preferred to watch the band and dance to ourselves in whatever timid or outward fashion. I wasn’t annoyed by his energy levels being significantly higher than mine or our section, however, dismissing his elbows occasionally thrashing into my sides. At one point, him and his friend made it a mission for Akinde-Hummels to know how much they rate him, pointing and yelling for his attention during one of the only times the band halted between songs to compose and set up for the next track. We fucking love you, he said, or something like that. Upper end Millenials, I guess.
If any sign of complete anarchy on the concert floor were to arise, they’d have to get through the gentle ‘mosh’ pit, a group of girls linking arms and jumping to ‘Sand Fight’ which bled into the final track who were situated amongst solo men who moved themselves, completely enthused and respondent to the music. The chanting repeated back somewhat, all wrapped around their finger, knowing that we’d be coming to an end whenever they decided that it was enough.
What’s next for this talented group of young men? They do invite the crowd to join them down the pub afterwards, ensuring that they’re nice people. Work in the morning and forking out £30 on pints meant that my night would end here, but I did double check the line ups for some anticipated Summer Festivals in the hopes of catching them again. They somehow elevate what is already an amazing sound and place pretty with addendums throughout to make the set fuse into a singular experience, fully thrusted into their erratic sonics. They’ve come to the end of their U.K tour but whenever the opportunity to see this group live arises, it is one to take without hesitancy, a promise for a good dancey ole time.