The Preatures at Moth Club
Under the glittering ceiling at Moth Club, The Preatures rocked the audience with incredible energy. The Australian band opened their London concert with two songs from their newly released album Girlhood. Questioning what it means to be a modern woman and exploring her contradictions today, the lyrics bear traces of real experiences, whether lived by the singer in person or heard from every present-day girl. With scattered influences from pop, blues, and country, the new record comes about after almost three years of gestation, but it’s definitely been worth the wait for its depth and bold sounds.
Isabella (Izzi) Manfredi was at the centre of the stage, at the side, on the drum. Her sharp voice resounded in the room, dominating in turns with solo and long sequences of powerful guitar by Jack Moffitt.
From the lively rhythm sessions of bassist Thomas Champion and drummer Luke Davison, a softer tune reached the ears of the audience when Manfredi got to the keyboard. Your Fan, the first track to be written for Girlhood, put on pause the overexcited notes of the rest of the gig to gift us a song on the love/friend relationship that moved and connected with the feminine chords.
There were two unmissable gems from the LP. Yanada, a beautiful hymn to the Australian Indigenous culture, was written in collaboration with Dharug Songwoman Jacinta Tobin. A quick intro by the singer to a few key words, like “Gumada” (spirit) and “wa nura” (on country), and the crowd were deep into the “walk under the moon”, transported in space and time to the rich narrative of Australia’s Aboriginal heritage. The song is a journey of exploration that doesn’t know national borders or language barriers; the vibrant music connects far beyond what straight words or plain explanations would do.
Magick was a second treasure of the night, its lyrics related to identity, and was impressively performed. Once again, the more reflective nature of the words allowed the tune to indulge in softer tones, though the audience were still swinging along.
Cutting through shared experiences and personal stories, the setlist included lighter songs, such as the Italian-infused Something New on the topic of Compulsive Shopping Disorder. The band concluded the night with a remix version of Is This How You Feel? leaving the Hackney club with upbeat and positive vibes.
Though maybe more familiar to Aussie ears, The Preatures didn’t disappoint the London crowd, delivering a smashing performance and electrifying hits.
Cristiana Ferrauti
Photo: Cristiana Ferrauti
For further information and check out original vinyls of the new album visit The Preatures’ website here.
Watch the video for Yanada here:
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