Hinds’ show at Gorilla, Manchester was the first venue to be sold out on their international I Don’t Run tour; meaning Hinds went above and beyond to please the packed-out hall. Fans were eagerly awaiting the quartet to arrive on stage and gave out a monstrous roar of anticipation and excitement when the lights finally dimmed down. The roar continued when Hinds finally graced the stage with a short introductory march/dance before taking their places; while smiling constantly.
They kicked off the show with their recent single ‘The Club’, a teaser track preceding the album’s release described by Hinds as their ‘presentation card’. It was a fantastic way to introduce the set. At the first strum of a guitar, the audience were all noticeably nodding their heads along to the beat. This was the arguably the least the audience moved for the rest of the show. Next Hinds played ‘Chili Town’, revealing that the show was not going to be focused purely on the latest album. They cycled through ‘Echoing My Name’ and ‘Soberland’, gaining momentum with the audience as they continued to play every colourful melody. By the time the band were playing ‘Easy’, a subtle mosh pit had appeared in front of the stage and with every instrumental drop, the crowd would jump up and down rhythmically. One of the biggest surges of energy was during ‘Castigadas En El Granero’, the combined vocal performances of Ana and Carlotta really lifted the roof on the whole room and gave an indescribable energy to the song, different to that which you would hear on record.
Noticing that the room had been getting hotter and hotter with each track, Hinds pulled in the mesmeric and chilled out vibes of ‘Linda’ and the classic song ‘Garden’ to cool off. This part of the performance really showed the versatility of Hinds when they are on stage, playing at different tempos and volumes. They then continued with the energetic ‘Tester’ which reinvigorated the crowd at the centre of the stage and they kept the momentum going through ‘Rookie’, the ancient Hinds song ‘Bamboo’ and a pinnacle performance of ‘Davey Crockett’; allowing the freedom for Ana to crowdsurf with a microphone in hand screaming every lyric as the rest of the band looked onward smiling and laughing consistently. This high octane song made way for an interval before the encore, giving everyone a chance to catch their breath.
The temporarily empty stage was filled with another roar of anticipation from the crowd and eventually the encore was set in motion. Hinds came out sincerely happy for the support and continued to play the remaining two singles from I Don’t Run: ‘Finally Floating’ and ‘New For You’. The final song, ‘San Diego’, encapsulated the entire show with a fast-paced, unrestrained and unreserved energy that is very rarely found to be associated with any other modern artists.
The unique characteristic of Hinds’ performance style is that the genre that could be described as ‘chilled out beach rock’, but it merges flawlessly with the incredible energy of the band members as they play. Carlotta regularly screamed the odd lyric with uncontrollable enthusiasm, bringing a different side out to tracks that we are used to hearing on record. This means that anyone can enjoy Hinds live, either at the centre of the action in a lowkey mosh pit, or standing at the sidelines appreciating the pleasant vibes from a distance. The combined use of theatrical mannerisms and down-to-earth, carefree personalities make Hinds a must-see band (with only two albums under their belt!). It’s recommended that you see them now in their grassroots prime before they inevitably take the entire world by storm.
I Don’t Run, the new album from Hinds, is out now!
