Loophole

Drafted in at last minute to present their nutrasweet vocals and Grand Prix-roar-round-corners of a guitar line, Beats Capri impressed me greatly. Dressing up with an '80s glam black clothes and eyeliner aesthetic earned them bonus points right from the get-go, and their tuneful sound coupled with an ability to be self-aware without sinking into painful grating “irony” worked well for me too. Stop-start drumming, mid-song silences perfectly timed and the drafting in of backing vocals for a three-pronged question-answer-question-answer-all together now lyrical assault were further plus points. Although this show didn’t quite display the X-Factor which has me falling head over heels in love with a band, the odd moment of dark genius in this danceable, howl-along stuff had me convinced enough to buy their demo and determined to see this lot again.

I’d already seen Loophole and come away determined to see them again, and from the smattering of Loophole t-shirts in the crowd I guess I’m not the only one to have been impressed. Loophole are assault by soundscape; shimmering, rippling guitars underneath vocals which alternate between a looping howl and a tuneful spitting, everything played extremely loud and crashing into the audience at full force. Their sound swoops and soars, a little like Muse without the jester’s cap, detached but with just enough quirkiness in it to earth it and engage the listener’s interest. The band grew more and more involved in their playing as the set progressed, until the end song saw them throwing themselves round the stage. I don’t doubt that a few more t-shirts got sold after this gig, and that Loophole have picked up a few more dedicated fans to dot the crowd at their next appearance.