Bathing Suits Push the Boundaries of Live Performance at Old Blue Last

Words by Donovan Livesey

Photo by Dovovan Livesey

“FREAK NATION!!!” screams Freyja Blevins, front-woman of Leeds noise-punk project Bathing Suits, before handing the mic to a crowd member who shouts it right back. It seems to be the band’s new slogan - and a nod to fresh single "iCanBeAFreak", out today and christened tonight in the sweatbox of Old Blue Last.

A freak, by definition, is “a very unusual event or situation,” and tonight’s free release party is exactly that. “Can we get some flashing lights?” asks Blevins as the band take the stage; lights hit on cue, and Bathing Suits erupt. Abrasive noise floods the room - wired guitars, pounding techno - as "iCanBeAFreak" barrels in, already a fan favourite despite its day-old release. Vocals drip with alluring depravity, verses laced with gleeful nastiness. The momentum is relentless, the crowd entirely in their grip.

Photo by Donovan Livesey

Another export from the endlessly inventive Windmill scene, Bathing Suits channel no-wave, punk rock, and harsh noise into something entirely their own. They push experimental music right to the edge, and live, it’s pure adrenaline. It’s something nobody here will have quite experienced before - unless they’ve been lucky enough to see this band already.

Before them came Manchester’s Martial Arts - a post-punk quintet who, like our headline act, have only three singles to their name but already an unshakable live identity.

Thrashing guitars, tempo shifts, and melody-led riffs, it’s something like Sonic Youth looseness paired with Pavement’s precision. Three guitars give them the force you’d expect, yet they still keep a dynamic range lesser bands often sacrifice for pure volume.

Photo by Donovan Livesey

Bathing Suits, though, are something else entirely. Debut single Lousy Havoc lands halfway through their half-hour set - an uncompromising collision of screeching noise-rock and techno, it’s certainly more thrilling than anything you’ll hear in a big field this summer. Blevins steps off stage and joins the mosh pit, which hasn’t stopped since they walked on. The band look the part too, bringing some glamour into the chaos. This is what a band should look like. And sound like. It’s theatre.

What makes Bathing Suits unique in today’s overpopulated post-punk landscape is their ability to match the abrasion of their recordings with even greater intensity on stage. They seem to understand more about what’s happening in the room than any observer could. Experiencing them live means surrendering to the noise, embracing the dizzying highs of discomfort that define their aura.

Photo by Donovan Livesey

The closing distorted outro is all feedback snarls and jagged synths, stretched to nearly five minutes without losing an ounce of energy. They’ve drawn comparisons to Gilla Band and Model/Actriz, but are really unlike anything else - a rare and refreshing thing. In the purest sense, Bathing Suits are a thrill to watch. They might just skip the ‘best kept secret’ stage and go straight to cult and beyond.

Upcoming Shows:

13 AUG // Brighton, Rossi Bar 

24 AUG //Liverpool, Riot Days Fest 

29 AUG // Leeds, Brudenell Social Club, ( supporting Kassie Krut)

9 SEPT // Brighton, Green Door Store (supporting Food House)

25 SEPT // Manchester, Deaf institute

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