Live Review: Rolling Blackouts C.F. - Koko, London 29/10/2018

Bringing pure organised mayhem, Rolling Blackouts C.F. came to save us all from our cold Monday night, boasting catchy choruses and indie-rock that even your die-hard-rock Dad could enjoy.

First to warm us up; Our Girl. their punchy-garage indie rock throws us into the night with little warning. With Soph Nathan leading us in with her punky, overdrived riffs and ingrained lyrics, it was safe to say we were warmed up and raring to go. Hailing from Brighton, Our Girl have been touring with the likes of Pale Waves and BLOXX this year, and I can’t wait to see what 2019 brings them.

Next, all the way from Ontario, Canada, are the stunning Dizzy. Looking around the crowd, it was difficult to find a single person not completely enchanted by the rolling synths, floaty guitar tones and Katie Munshaw’s angelic voice, dancing away in her own little world where nothing else seemingly mattered. Championing rich dream pop, Dizzy’s songs are deep rooted in narrative and lyricalism, owing ode to their upbringing in suburbian Oshawa. It would be absolutely criminal to not see them live if given the chance.

And finally, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. Strutting on stage to 70’s funk and disco ball lights, RBCF are a band that don’t take themselves too seriously; they are what they say on the tin. Seemingly the end point of 5 chilled out Aussie dudes just jamming in their parents garage from a young age, RBCF revives the influences of Dad rock in a spectacular fashion - ear splitting guitar solos and a pure euphoria of sounds that can’t stop you from smiling and head banging.

Opening with ‘The Hammer’, with that trademark RBCF-styled riff that we had been craving with anticipation, they don’t struggle to getting the crowd roaring with cheers. With 4 guitars on stage, RBCF bring utter carnage to the stage; everyone's seemingly doing their own thing, yet it all masterfully blends together to create this chaotic yet stunning dynamic of ringing guitar and sweeping rhythms that has the entirety of Camden on their toes. The fact that RBCF doesn’t even have a traditionally recognisable frontman adds to this sense - we don’t know who to bow down to first!

As we go through the night, the sounds get louder and the tunes get bigger. The no nonsense rock machines go well into the night, playing fan favourites such as ‘Talking Straight’ and ‘Air Conditioned Man’. However, with all good things, they must end - but not before playing the explosive banger, ‘French Press’, and elongating out the ending into 2-3 minutes of pure delight, exhilaration, and thunderously loud guitar and drums. By the end, there wasn’t a single person not jumping up and down with their hands firmly waving around - and even a few crowd surfers.

You just can’t beat Rock N Roll, kids.

Words and Photography by Jordan Logan