Tonight North Wales via North London’s The Heights play at Camden’s Purple Turtle – North London’s own ‘classic’ rock venue – for a Classic Rock Magazine night. After the political, Rage Against The Machine tinged hardcore of Montreal’s Grimskunk and the intermittent hard rock soundtrack that forms the rest of the night, those new to The Heights would be forgiven for being slightly anxious as to the nature of the headlining four piece.
Thankfully, I have done my homework on The Heights or I may well have been persuaded to leave before they finally make it on stage at around 11.15. There is, though, for the first time in the evening, a genuine air of excitement when they do take the stage and launch into an explosive opening to their set. Hard rock they are not, but neither are they in any way a lightweight band, mixing forceful riffs with an indie sensibility that extends from the guitarist’s skinny jeans to the infectious choruses. The first three tracks are filled with power and energy, culminating with the excellent ‘Night Relay’ – during which all of a sudden the long wait seems worthwhile.
After such an incendiary introduction, The Heights do lose their way a bit in the middle, and unfortunately Owain Ginsberg’s usually impressive rasping vocals are a little drowned out on previous single ‘Blackberry Nights’, but the band more than makes up for it with the cracking ‘For Real’. With its driving guitar and chorus it is a definite set highlight and is in more ways than one a ‘classic’ rock song. It’s also The Heights’ new single, and you get the impression that with a track like this things might really snowball for them. On the evidence of this show they certainly seem to have enough tunes. After the triumph of ‘For Real’, they tear through the rest of the set, leaving the invigorated crowd wanting more after their all too brief set.
As a band and a live act The Heights stick to several pretty important principles. In performance they bounce around like they are really enjoying themselves and give the show everything they’ve got, transferring the on-stage energy and enthusiasm to the crowd. They don’t say much between songs, save for introducing the odd one, keeping an air of cool distance between them and the audience and putting all their energy into the show – a show that is tight enough to impress but just loose enough to look like fun. And most importantly, they have some really good songs.
Sadly, despite the lateness of the hour, The Heights play to a less than half full Purple Turtle tonight. It can often be difficult to judge what kind of an impact a band will have on the desired heaving, sweaty throng when they are playing to a half-filled dingy room, but from the way they get the few assembled punters moving and the energy on stage hints that in more auspicious circumstances they would revel in a packed venue.
The Heights are not leading the vanguard of progression in British music, but why the hell should they? They know what they’re good at and I’m certainly not arguing with them.
First published on rockfeedback.com. See it here.
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