Live Review: ESG, No Zu & Terrible Truths

Economy of style is often welcome. In the case of Terrible Truths, they proved simple bass hooks, rudimentary drums, some clashed vocals and a sparse, bass-bolstering guitar line or shimmering, stabbed chords are all they need. Locked into their hypnotic groove, this familiar but still enthralling sound dragged the few attendees' attention directly onto the three figures on stage. The fierce chiming on Diamond was a highlight, but the whole set stripped down to its skeleton and danced like a tentative rebel. Superb.

No Zu walk several lines crossing disco, funk, psychedelic, all the while merging each of them into an amorphous, mutating mass. With percussion and vocals leading it all, the rapidly expanding crowd built like the layers of their songs, from sparse to bursting with colour, fervour and rhythm. They seemed to splice eras as well, bringing potentially dated musical motifs squealing into the 21st century.

ESG, humble as anything, can crush bands half their age. Starting with the stark slinky lines of You're No Good, their primitive post-punk disco is still startling. They could've improvised upon the wireframe punk-funk, but refused. They kept everything as energetic, soulful and simple as possible, leaving us to fill in the blanks with our bodies and appreciative voices. From the eerie instrumental of UFO to the femme-thrash threat of Erase You, we could've wanted nothing more from them. The set was short, but the amount of effort put into every vocal and beat intertwined and sustained for two to three minutes maximised their hour. What's more is that this vital, extraordinary primal, sensual and passionate music has not dated and will never be irrelevant. People can dance to it, relate to it and memorise its every pattern. Every attendee was left beaming, sweaty, energised to the point of refreshment. Less is more. Here, it's almost everything.