All Photographs Copyright Emily Powell-Chandler
“This strange, beautiful planet in a place called Cardiff – Am I pronouncing that right?” intergalactic explorer Zpor jokes with the cheering crowd, before inviting them to join his team on a cosmic journey, experienced through their music and energetic stage presence.
As you enter Clwb Ifor Bach, enthusiasm for HENGE is clear as day, as fans decked in glittery head boppers, alien beanies, and full chromatic outfits, crowd the front of the room. The back of the room is draped in acid trip tie-dye t-shirts and extraterrestrial accessories, tempting newcomers to join in, with the alien dress-up.
Before HENGE, can take the stage, their warmup act Dogshow prepares the audience for an evening full of absurdity. A neon synthesiser rig is wheeled to the centre of the crowd by the two-piece act, dressed as dogs in sunglasses and costume jewellery. Their hypnotic synthesised loop tracks contrast with upbeat rave anthems, successfully exciting the crowd for the evening to come.
HENGE’s set opens with drama, as fog obscures the stage allowing for a smooth entrance for the intergalactic crew. Zpor (Matthew Whitaker) on electric guitar and vocals, decked out in plasma ball hat and light-up staff; Goo (Peter Turner) on bass and synth bass in full alien prosthetics; Grok (Roy Medhurst) on synth, the only human of the group matching the band in otherworldly robes; and Nom (Sam Draper) on the drums also in full alien prosthetics.
They break into their first song ‘Alpha Test 4’, the title track of the album they are currently touring since its release earlier this year in May. HENGE’s setlist dabbles in a variety of musical genres, the band themselves describing their genre as ‘Cosmic Dross’. The song ‘Get A Wriggle On’, is a cross between fast-tempo rap music and bouncy synth hooks, creating an irresistible groove. While the song is upbeat, it simultaneously warns of Earth’s climate crisis - the alien crew citing their own extinct planets as evidence of the issue, the band showing full commitment to their alien alter egos.
While they maintain the extraterrestrial narrative in their music, their other songs tend to centre around science and novelty for the most part. A less cautionary song focuses on the woes of a robot in ‘Self Repair Protocol’. The song keeps the emphasis on synthesised melodies but adds special effects to the vocals mimicking a classic robot voice and creates a catchy dance track, strobe lights adding to the techno atmosphere. Tapping into prog rock in a noticeable genre change, the song ‘New Planet’ from their second album slows down their set, with the rock anthem encouraging the audience to sway along and marvel at the elaborate and commanding performance before them.
For the final part of their journey, before the crowd “return to earth”, HENGE unify the crowd by singing ‘Demilitarise’ from their first album ‘Attention Earth!’, once again their humane wishes shining through their alien personas.
As Zpor walks through the crowd, embracing fans, a message of peace and inclusivity is evident, as all chant the chorus acapella, ending the show as an inclusive and optimistic community.
