REVIEW: Shame @ the Sinclair 10/01

By Brittany Moura

South London darlings, Shame, have conquered the hearts of music publications around the globe, a band with so much hype, with members aged just 21. Their debut album, Songs of Praise, was released to triumphant reviews and a promising start to a, hopefully, lengthy music career. Their second visit to the Boston area attracted a passionate, eclectic, and appreciative crowd including everyone from superfans to intrigued music blog followers.

Frontman Charlie Steen was the commander of the ship, with his moves reminiscent of Iggy Pop’s in his early Stooges days. The opening song, “Dust on Trial,” immediately raptured the audience. It’s a tune that progresses into a wall of sound, impossible not to jump along to. This vibe and energy continued with the songs “Concrete” and “One Rizla,” some of their most talked about works. The guitar sounds shine strongly, thanks to Sean Coyle-Smith and Eddie Green, whose varying tones balance well against each other, especially on the track “Tasteless,” which was arguably the best performance of the night.

Unafraid to be political, but not having politics as their main focus, the lyricism Shame brings to the table puts many older, well-known indie bands, to, well, shame. The previously mentioned song, “Tasteless,” offers the insight, “Distorted by distance / indulged in gluttony by the frogs of France /  that’s racist / how tasteless can you be?” The anger at self-indulgence Steen portrays on stage invites the audience to feel the emotion of the song, even if they can’t relate to what’s being said. Hailing from London, one of their first releases, “Visa Vulture,” is a comical mimicry of a love song dedicated to Theresa May, and the humor has remained throughout Shame’s stage presence and song crafting.

They played two new songs, yet to be released, which offered a chance for the crowd to rest their vocal chords and listen attentively, but Shame never let their energy fall. Bassist Josh Finnerty was literally doing somersaults across the stage, and never missed a single note, but drummer Charlie Forbes kept the groove going in case he were to.

Closing the show, encore song “Donk,” hailed the highest level of energy and raw power. While the band finessed incredibly kinetic showmanship onstage, members of the audience decided it was time to give something back to the band, crowd surfing and throwing people around in the most respectful, vivacious, and restless way.