Gig review: Hermanos Gutiérrez at Troxy

Cinematic yet intimate, Hermanos Gutiérrez took us on a ride we didn’t want to get off.

Hermanos Gutiérrez have come a long way from their basement jam sessions, last weekend saw them captivate a 3,000 strong crowd at East London venue, Troxy. The pastel art deco walls of the venue, with its cinematic grandeur, provided a fitting backdrop for the brothers’ self-described “spaghetti western” sound. The audience, many clutching freshly purchased Gutiérrez vinyls, fizzed with excitement for the brothers’ arrival.

Both brothers arrived on stage in style, Estevan’s full of drama and exactly what you’d imagine from their sound- a sweeping tan sleeveless jacket, broad brimmed hat and swinging silver earring. Whilst Alejandro went for a suave, monochrome look. Together, they sat amid their simple set-up comprising just the instruments they would play throughout the evening and got straight into it. Before long, the arpeggiated guitars, loops and repeats had created a trancelike atmosphere, the audience swaying as the brothers grooved in sync, body rolling and head bopping. 

The lack of vocals only served to elevate the melodies, hypnotic spells befalling the crowd, broken only by clumsy audience yells of adoration between songs. All of which the brothers handled humbly, affirming their mutual love and gratitude. One notable moment of audience joy was the introduction of “Tres Hermanos,” a song that conjured dreamlike desert scenes with its looping guitar melodies and steady percussion. Their iconic track “Low Sun” was another highlight and rightly so, as Alejandro’s lap steel guitar tinkering emulated the warmth of a slowly setting desert sun.

Midway through, the brothers shifted gears, introducing their newer sound. The journey lifted up from desert landscapes and into the cosmos, reflecting the evolution found in their latest album, Sonido Cósmico. At the height of our cosmic journey, Estevan playfully divulged how he and his brother like to imagine soaring through stars in a spaceship together, a feeling they brought us along for in their next song, “Los Navegantes.”

The duo felt less like performers and more like old friends, sharing personal stories and their ineffable connection with the crowd. While the packed Troxy was so clearly deserved, part of me longed for the intimacy of their first London gig of 150 people. They closed the night with “Nuevo Mundo” (translating to “New World”) offering a touching, hopeful finale from which to depart the desert, spilling back onto the streets of London.