A Night at Scala - Part I - Automotion

SPECTOR 10 YEAR ALBUM ANNIVERSARY SHOW

Wednesday 14th September, 2022

Words by Emma Bowen

Images by Lia Qin

T-SHIRTS SPOTTED (FOR FANS OF): ARCTIC MONKEYS, RADIOHEAD, SPECTOR, JUST MUSTARD

MOSH PIT RATING: 10%

Having seen this London quartet performing at the iconic Windmill venue in Brixton earlier this year, I knew that on my second day back in the city this September, one of the first things on my list was to go and catch them again. This time, their second night supporting Spector at the intimate venue Scala in Central London.

The band consists of lead Jesse Hitchman, guitarist Lennon Gallagher, bassist Luke Chin-Joseph and drummer Otis Eatwell-Hurst; four names soon to be well praised across the music industry.

After releasing their debut EP ‘In Motion’ in June last year, featuring tracks such as ‘Flight Of The Screaming Baboon’ and ‘Mind and Motion’, the band has continued their engagement with live performances alongside continuing to develop new music. Their upcoming EP ‘Ecstatic Oscillations’ will be released on September 23rd, featuring tracks such as the newly released ‘Dithyramb’ and ‘The Dicethrow’.

As they first came onstage, the room had certainly filled up from the last time I’d checked. There was little introduction or conversation, and instead they chose to uphold their mysterious character by diving straight into their first track of the night.

Maybe as implied by their unique titles, this isn’t your standard independent band. They stretch the typical expectation of live music to something you can only describe as an immersive experience, with only a few brief seconds of silence throughout the whole set.

One of the most notable performance highlights is their physical expression. Hitchmans piercing eye contact with not only the crowd, but mostly with his fellow bandmates is interspersed with occasional movements to the music. These are accompanied with other contributions from the rest of the band members, all of whom continue to portray a stern expression throughout their playing. Whether this be for performance or concentration purposes, it certainly adds to the feel of the music and is only interrupted occasionally when a gentle smile to each other breaks out in-between songs.

Although majority of their music is instrumental topped with a spoken-word style of lyricism, one of the most striking parts about their music is the changing rhythms throughout individual pieces which definitely helps to keep the audience encapsulated with the unexpected turns in a song; although it can throw you off a little when trying to nod your head along to the beat.

There are certain moments that are definitely mosh-pit worthy, but a lot of the music can be felt on a much deeper level, with punchy bass and drum lines that steer the tracks forward. You know what to expect from their music but they never fail to keep each track engaging in its own way.

At the end of their set, they thanked the crowd, as well as Spector for having them to open, before clearing their equipment and exiting the stage.

They have their upcoming shows listed on their Instagram @automotionband, with their next few performances supporting The Lounge Society at the start of October, followed by a headline show at The George Tavern in London on November 4th.

These are four very musically talented individuals who are definitely worth a visit, and be sure to watch out for their new EP released in a few weeks time.

Thanks for reading! - Em✨🦋💞