Emerging late last year, cresting a wave of B-town bands among the likes of Swim Deep, Peace have polarised music lovers with their brand of nonchalant indie pop. However, if the first date of their tour at Rock City is anything to go by, the Birmingham boys have nothing to worry about.
Geed up by a brash, yet storming, set by openers Drenge, the crowd are in high spirits as the main act take to the stage. Kicking off with Waste of Paint, from their debut album In Love, the venue’s floor space erupts into a pushing, singing and jumping mass. Lead singer Harrison Koisser, modelling himself like a hipster Kurt Cobain, has every lyric sang back to him by a drove of teenage fans.
Peace unashamedly nab their sound, and eccentric style, from a plethora of influences – ranging from the indie funk of Foals, to Stone Roses’ mythical baggy beats. The latter’s impact is most profound on the anthemic, thrashing Follow Baby. The track’s killer chorus of “we’re gonna live forever, baby” also a statement of intent from the wide-eyed four-piece.
Preventing any visits to A&E, the moshpit’s intensity fortunately dies down when the group show off a more composed side of their catalogue on Float Forever. The spaced out track displays the young band at their most dynamic – allowing them to showcase their musical chops and a gift for songwriting. This notion is much the same with the dazzling California Daze – a bittersweet homage to a place miles away, both metaphorically and geographically, from their Midlands home.
With a sophomore album due next year, Peace treated the crowd to the first live play of a new track entitled Money. The song’s bombastic disco vibe, much in the same vein as Daft Punk’s recent material, hints at a new direction for the band and suggests the collective are yet to find a signature sound.
The band close the set with fan favourite Bloodshake and give the crowd one final invitation to go wild. The summer hit helps everyone to momentarily forget about the brisk, wintry weather behind the confines of the venue and transports them to Peace’s glittery, utopian world.
As the band leave to rapturous applause, they promise to return to Nottingham again. After a performance of that calibre, Peace’s next visit can’t come soon enough.
