Contemporary music’s most highly-touted post-punk revivalists, Savages blew right past expectations as they made their D.C. debut at a packed Rock & Roll Hotel on Saturday night. Showcasing songs from their first album, Silence Yourself, the London-based quartet delivered a tremendous performance that dazzled with both raw power and professional polish, leaving a frenetic crowd raving.
During the set-opening “City’s Full,” singer Jehnny Beth unleashed her robust, Siouxsie-esque vocals as drummer Fay Milton and bassist Ayşe Hassan locked into a propulsive groove spiked by guitarist Gemma Thompson’s trenchant, razor-blade riffs. As the group blazed through scorching renditions of “Shut Up” and “I Am Here,” the crowd was in full frenzy, surging with palpable waves of physical energy that fed off of Beth’s intensely kinetic stage presence.
Throughout their 11-song set, Savages proved to be a remarkably tight live outfit, displaying impressive synergy for a relatively new band. Their sound was hard-hitting yet refined, dynamic yet fully controlled, seemingly spontaneous yet carefully orchestrated. From the brooding “Waiting For a Sign” to the explosive “No Face,” each musician’s parts were crystal clear and individually distinctive even as they coalesced seamlessly into a formidable din. It was enough to win over local punk luminary Ian MacKaye, who could be seen just off-stage, nodding along with approval during the Gang of Four-ish “Flying to Berlin.”
Indeed, Savages do post-punk in a decidedly “millennial” way, merging elements of punk’s stridency, aggression, and DIY ethos with more conciliatory gestures towards accessibility, competency, commercialism, and efficiency. Aspects of their well-oiled operation were evident throughout the show. A tour manager in a bespoke suit presided over the performance (and the merch-table) like a latter-day Andrew Loog Oldham. Signage strictly prohibited cell-phone photography and videography, and credentialed photographers were carefully monitored in a manner more customary to larger shows and venues.
Of course, it was the band’s musical professionalism (and sheer talent) that was on most conspicuous display on Saturday night. By the time they capped their performance with their standout single “Husbands,” they had reaffirmed their place among independent music’s most promising up-and-comers. Clearly, Savages mean business in every sense of the term.
