ARXX Live at Signature Brew, London 24 June 2021
Words by Tony Rounce, photos by Keira Anee
Before we were all so rudely interrupted by Covid19, Brighton two-piece ARXX were moving forwards in leaps and bounds, taking a step up from headlining their own well-attended musical soirees to supporting bands with higher national and international profiles. They could not have known, any more than any of us did, that the blistering set they delivered at London’s Bush Hall in support of the Hold Steady on March 8 2020 would be the last time ARXX would have to opportunity to perform their music in public for more than 16 months…
I make absolutely no secret whatsoever of my total admiration for and adoration of the two women of ARXX. As a band, they thrill me to the bone every time I see them. As people, I couldn’t love them any more than I do, or be more proud of them, if they were my own daughters. On a scene where you don’t have to go far to find a really good band, they are truly among the greatest anywhere.
Their first time back on stage after everyone’s enforced lay off found them at East London’s Signature Brew, purveyors of fine ale and owners of a big performance space that, despite being somewhat out of the way, is worth making the effort to find. The gig was a sell-out in advance and despite social distancing measures there were more that enough people in attendance to make it feel ‘proper’.
For all my unswerving devotion to Hanni and Clara, I’ll admit I was slightly apprehensive about seeing my old musical flames again after such an extended gap. Would the magic of countless great gigs over the previous few years still remain, or would my ardour have cooled? Absence doesn’t always make the heart grow fonder, y’know. I never had any doubt that ARXX would come back and come back strong, but I confess I was nervous that they might not thrill me with quite the passion that has had me following them devotedly, all over the country, for the past few years…
Any apprehensions vanished the minute Hanni and Clara fired up the coruscating version of ‘Call Me Crazy’ that started their all-too-short, 9-song set. There I was, right back head over heels in love and giddy with happiness. In less than three minutes, the trek to the back of beyond (or Walthamstow, as the locals know it) to see them became a pleasure and a privilege to have made. ARXX were back. Normal service had been resumed.
ARXX have not been idle during their enforced lay-off. Their set has undergone an extensive makeover, with only ‘You Got What You Want’, Iron Lung’ and a remade/remodelled ‘Moments At A Time’ surviving from pre-pandemic sets. Actually, that’s not entirely true. Their recent singles – the aforementioned ‘Call Me Crazy’ and, as recently heard at the end of ‘Match Of The Day’ no less, a funky ‘Deep’ – had just begun to feature regularly as 2019 drew to a close, and 2020 kicked in, but they were still largely an unknown quantity. Hearing them booming out loud and proud, and bouncing off the walls of the open-plan Signature Brew premises, it felt like they were receiving their first ‘proper’ live exposure…
Then there were brand new songs to factor into the equation. Big, boisterous, hooky songs, namely the anthemic ‘Couldn’t Help Myself’, ‘Not Alone’ and a smashing ‘Ride Or Die’ that was so new that Hanni had only finished writing it a day or so ago, are all the kind of repertoire that would be the envy of any band. The ferocity with which they were performed was counterbalanced by the sheer joy that was radiating from the smiley countenances of Hanni and Clara, so obviously glad to be back doing what they know they do best, and that few others do quite as well as they do. By the time you hear these songs at LOUD WOMEN Fest in September they will have played them live at least half a dozen more times, and they will sound unstoppable…
So there they were, these two delightful people, up on the stage and trading banter with each other and the audience, and obviously getting as much of a belt out of being there as we were. They patently didn’t want it to end any more than we did, and it didn’t take a whole lot of encouragement to get them to come back for an encore of Ariana Grande’s ‘Dangerous Woman’ – a song so new to their repertoire that Hanni had the lyrics written out on cheat sheets on the floor around her microphone ‘to be on the safe side’. I don’t think she looked at them once. By the end of the set it was obvious that the pandemic was merely a hiccup to ARXX’ timeline, and that their quest for musical world domination had resumed with a vengeance…
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and when they achieve it – and it WILL happen, and sooner rather than later, mark my words – I’ll be the first to tell the world that it couldn’t happen to two more deserving people.
If you missed this sold out gig you will have plenty of opportunities to catch up with ARXX over the course of the Summer, as they have a heavy gig schedule, headlining several London dates and others around the country, including what I am sure will be a highly charged and totally emotional homecoming show at Brighton’s Hope & Ruin on August 20th to kick the whole thing off. In the meantime you can follow them on all social media, and check out their catalogue on Bandcamp (and maybe make a purchase or two…)
