Chvrches, Somerset House, London review • DIY Magazine

Striding out in front of their pulsating LED setup, tonight Chvrches form an instant juxtaposition with their surroundings. As their progressive synth-pop thunders around the ornate 16th century courtyard of Somerset House, their success in striking a balance between the two is testament to the band’s talent.

Sadly it’s a contrast that soon becomes lost in the blur of conversation, as a crowd of officewear-clad acquaintances quaff their £8.50 gin and tonics from plastic cups, just minutes after their Instagrammed selfies were being broadcast on the screens that flank the stage. Said screens are now sat dormant as the band perform, displaying only an advertisement for one of tonight’s sponsors – just one of many hints that this is more of a corporate knees-up than anything else.

Both sonically and visually, the trio are as unblemished as ever, the only evidence of their unforgiving touring schedule coming in the form of the odd popped LED on their backdrop. ‘Gun’ is a note-perfect stomp - such sheen on lesser bands would surely take away from the attraction of a live performance, but Chvrches have a gusto that negates any need for improv. The lightshow switches from rigid polygons to a twinkling starry curtain for ‘Night Sky’, and as the illuminated windows of the courtyard in turn become part of the light show, the beauty of the surrounding is undeniable. “This is a pretty epic place for a show,” smiles singer Lauren Mayberry, and surely no one in attendance could argue.

But the chatter increases, and so too does Chvrches’ relegation to nothing more than a glorified cocktail bar band – a muffled backdrop to a summer’s catch-up, rather than the defining element of the evening that they should be.

As ‘Tether’ hits its crescendo, a pocket of choreographed hair-swooshing and on-the-spot pogoing finding its place amongst the chat for the most fleeting of moments. It’s indicative of the whole ethos of the evening – the vapidity of London’s pop-up fascination reaching its peak. Indeed, the temporariness of the event is soon confirmed as the band are forced to leave the stage after complaints from nearby residents. They return for a limp encore, but the damage is already done.

Tonight’s setting could have made for a wonderful locale for one of the UK’s premier pop outfits to round off their last twelve months in the spotlight. Instead, they’re consigned to the shadows; just another cross on the calendar for a crowd whose primary interactions with the evening are documented extensively online, long before the trio have even left the stage.

Tags: CHVRCHES, Reviews, Live Reviews