Live Review: Allusinlove - Anvil, Bournemouth 12/02/2019

Allusinlove are right in the middle of a pretty hefty UK tour, after ending a short hiatus at the end of last year with a new name and a new self titled EP.

Formerly Allusondrugs, the band announced they were back together with a pretty bold statement - “the worlds shit and it’s getting divided - let’s stand for unity” and vocalist Jason even got new name allusondrugs inked on his back - something we caught a flash of tonight. Tonight, they played Bournemouth’s tiniest rock bar, the Anvil, and there was so much head banging and hair swinging it’s a miracle necks weren’t broken.

Bournemouth based four-piece The Bedroom Text opened the night with some pretty feel good vibes. Breaking a string within the first 10 minutes, frontman Benji did not even flinch, leaving the rest of the band to entertain the crowd while he found and tuned a new guitar. The set continued with a mix of tracks, including surprisingly grungy/emo tinged single Gina, which released by the band at the end of last year. The confidence this band exudes is something I did not expect for a band so young and relatively new on the scene, but the way they handle themselves and the sound they’re producing makes it pretty clear they’ve got potential to just keep growing.

It’s easy to underestimate a band like Bird Shoes. When two guys walk onto the stage you may wonder just how good a show they can put on, but if bands like Royal Blood and Black Futures have taught me anything, it’s that two people can sometimes put on a better show than a band of five. Bird Shoes certainly do just that, as they ooze energy and give everyone a damn good time. With only one track on Spotify, Bird Shoes have the benefit of playing to a crowd who aren’t really sure what to expect. What you can gauge from their social media though, is that they’re a pair of jokers, and we see this in full force tonight, as their front man engages with the crowd with such easy humour. With the words ‘rock and roll’ inked on his arm, it’s pretty clear Bird Shoes are fronted by a man who just lives and breathes for the stage. Brand new track Sod’s Law gives us a little glimpse into what might be to come from Bird Shoes, and my advice would be to make sure you don’t miss it when it lands.

Bird Shoes might have had energy, but double that and add a lot of hair for swinging around, and you can start to imagine with Allusinlove’s set was like. The Yorkshire band have the stage presence of a band who have had years of practice playing to thousands. Filling the tiny basement with their infectious pop rock, Allusinlove get the room moving and don’t stop moving themselves, clearly loving every second of their time on the stage. Frontman Jason speaks briefly to the crowd in between songs, but seems to focus more on simply enjoying himself, often turning his back to his audience as he faces the drummer for a little dance. It’s refreshing to see a musician enjoy themselves so much as after all, isn’t that what musics all about?

If you’re not already a fan of Allusinlove, I’m not sure how you’d like their live shows. They bounce across the stage with so much confidence they’re almost bordering arrogance, but this seems to just be who they are as a band. Their on stage presence and live show is a perfect reflection of everything else they’ve put out on social media and in their latest music video for Good People. Allusinlove are clearly know who they are, and judging by the vibe in the room, their fans love them for it.

Ending on their most well known track Good People, Allusinlove treat the crowd to an extended outro that I honestly started to believe might go on all night. These Yorkshire lads played their hearts out tonight, and I’ve got no doubt they’ve done the same every other night of this tour and will do for every show to come.

Words and photography by Megan Smith