Dry Cleaning are a post-punk band from South London made of four, vocalist (Florence Shaw), guitarist (Tom Dowse), bassist (Lewis Maynard), and drummer (Nick Buxton). Their first album ‘NewLong Leg’ was released in 2021 amidst one of the many lockdowns as a result of COVID-19.
The group were quick to gain popularity as they soared to the top of the UK charts and were named Rough Trade’s album of the year. Roughly two years later the four-piece have celebrated the release of their second album ‘Stumpwork’ by embarking on a worldwide tour.
For the first time since Green Man Festival 2022, they have returned to Wales to bring those with a love of art-rock and experimental lyricism together once again, this time at Tramshed, a music and arts venue in Cardiff.
As the doors opened at 7pm, fans gradually started to fill the venue. Prior to their set, there were two opening acts. The first to take the stage was Thus Love, an alternative trio made up of lead singer and guitarist (Echo Marshall), drummer (Lu Racine), and bassist (Nathaniel Van Osdol).
They played multiple songs from their album ‘Memorial’ as well as their new single ‘Centerfield’, followed by a performance by DEHD. The three-piece indie rock band from Chicago played songs from their new album ‘Blue Skies’, including their hit song ‘Bad Love’, which has amassed over four million plays on Spotify.
The quartet played ‘Stumpwork’ in its entirety, opening with ‘Kwenchy Kups’, a song with buoyant and airy instrumentals paired with optimistic spoken-word lyrics inspired by the sights of Bristol.
The upbeat nature of the song made it the perfect choice to open with as it energised the crowd in preparation for what was going to be a fairly long set. The energy remained high throughout the show as they proceeded to play ‘Viking Hair’, a song released as part of an earlier EP in 2019.
It was clear that this was a fan favourite as the crowd were quick to sing along.
In addition to the music itself, the performance was also captivating visually. Florence Shaw combined unusual facial expressions with eccentric hand movements and a lack of eye contact to create a unique atmosphere on stage.
I found this aspect of the performance particularly interesting, primarily because it reinforces the art-rock elements present within the group’s work. Personally, I think that her approach was refreshing as it differentiated from the standard formula vocalists usually go by when performing and the unconventional way she performs paired perfectly with the absurdity of some of their lyrics.
As the night came to an end, fans were still wanting more. ‘Scratchcard Lanyard’ and ‘Anna CallsFrom the Arctic’ were played as the encore, ensuring fans of the band left the venue on a high note.
Dry Cleaning are continuing their world tour and will be heading to Europe this spring.