2 December 2018
In the wake of their debut album’s release, Bdy_Prts scintillating set at Sneaky Pete’s envelops with safe favourites and unexpected highs.
Published in Crash
Glasgow’s Wuh Oh ignites the evening with a confident dose of cheeky, raiment billowing beats. His ping-ponging sounds mimic his demeanour as he volleys between an arsenal of electronic gadgetry and his trusty keys, the result is a jolly, yet heavy, mathed-out, techno-buzzed blaze with measures of Madchester and Kygo sprinkled throughout. To a more responsive and game crowd, the house would’ve crumbled — the downsides of having the opening slot.
Bdy_Prts float their way on stage by way of a rumbling intro before casting us into the safety net of their established crowd séducteur IDLU as their opening slice — a supremely tasty one nonetheless. Straight off the back of this, the duo (Glasgow’s Jenny Reeve and Chicago’s Jill O’Sullivan), accompanied by their solid backing band, tear through their more pop-infused offerings; Rooftops, Welcome and Take it to the Top early on, which leaves the audience wondering where the set will build to, but the execution of these tracks assures us that regardless of how high the summit may be, we have some damn fine sherpas showing us the way.
No strangers to the theatrical, the leading pair are clad in scintillating attire and geometric face-paint, their presence is a flamboyant and resolute combo that a Luc Besson sci-fi flick would lust at with extreme envy. Breathe pulls us into the gig’s aura of melodrama, laced with dream-like choreography, a warping beat, floating vocals and an eerie guitar riff which culminate, ironically, in the poaching of the audience’s breath.
Ghost in the Maze as its name suggests, is a haunting affair, with layered vocals that shimmer with an ethereal distress. The song’s guitar work manages to be both 80s crime show and spaghetti western within moments of each other, a great feat. O’Sullivan abandons the stage with mic in hand, and begins weaving the ghost’s maze through the crowd, staring deeply into the dark eyes of anyone that stands in her way, searching for glimmers of soul.
Suddenly, from the synth-ridden sonic cave of Shame, we are viciously yanked to the surface by the scuzzing hook of Mad Eyed Screamer — a cover of The Creatures. Relentless percussion, boiling vocals, and furious strumming injects a vial of adrenaline into the eve, quickly quelling any lingering air of woe. Evidence that the set had nowhere to climb to had dissipated wholly into the ether.
Reeve pipes up to the head honcho of the sound desk, politely asking for permission to serve two more slices before curfew, and from what we have collectively witnessed this evening, no mortal dares object. 45 cements how tight the band is with their own sound, a perfect fusion of their synth-pop and rock leanings, with bewitching harmonies that harness the dual nationalities of the leading ladies. Reeve and O’Sullivan perform the final tune of the eve, the unreleased cut Albatross, as a duet, and it is the band’s rawest showcase of emotion yet — screaming out to be played unplugged. O’Sullivan’s charming confession that she is practising the tune quietly while Reeve gives thanks for the evening, just adds to the track’s untamed weight and loosely worn veil.
Rest assured, the set proves that they are no strangers to scaling nature’s most mighty of mountains, and on reaching the peak, they slam their triumphant flag down like a gavel, leaving it to oscillate fiercely in the wind.