After almost two decades of delivering experimental, hard-driven psychedelic pieces, Blonde Redhead emerge from their three years hiatus with the surprising and girly-named album Penny Sparkle. Despite the detachment in last album 23, they haven’t given up their love/hate fascination with horses, naming their recent album to date after Penny Sparkle, the horse that taught lead singer Kazu Mazino to ride. It’s no surprise then that the sparkly legged Kazu embraces her innocent memory by wearing an eyeless, white horse mask to sing the opening song (and ever so Blonde Redhead) ‘Black Guitar’. But it’s not as light-hearted as you’d expect…

Thanks to the séance light bulbs adorning the stage and the ritualistic facial props, the performance is enough to resurrect the pony occupants of a burial ground. Opening with Penny Sparkle’s answer to 23’s ‘Publisher’, ‘Black Guitar’ enlists a similar throbbing intro, haunting background keys and Amedeo Pace’s comment of fleeting love “So long as your eyes follow mine, then mine will fall on you”, perfect for the hazy, unsuspecting backdrop. But as soon as Kazu rids the mask, her meek, overpowering vocals flourish in ‘Here Sometimes’ and the heavily European crowd begins their worshipping of the band, in the form of a screaming contest.

While the odd crowd members squawk away, Blonde Redhead prove their new album’s worth against their hailed back catalogue, as ‘Here Sometimes’ proves stronger (or maybe just more rehearsed) than the following ‘Dr. Strange Luv’. Shortly saved by arrival of Misery Is A Butterfly’s ‘Falling Man’ and some serious sunshine from the umbrella lighting, the silhouetted band couldn’t be more crisp; the clean shaven twin, Amedeo, pierces through the blasting light show with his humble lyrics “I am just a man, still learning how to fall.” Unintentionally, these wise lyrics couldn’t be truer of tonight. The unveiling of Penny Sparkle becomes tad overkill, (‘Love or Prison’, ‘Will There Be Stars’, ‘My Plants Are Dead’ & ‘Oslo’ are all played consecutively) and the band almost lose the attention of the audience.

With a sigh of relief, the band shifts using the guttural ‘Spring By Summer Fall’. Kazu and Amadeo rival Simone’s snare beats and loose cymbal work with a fierce guitar closure that overshadows the last thirty minutes of the Penny Sparkle set. This competitiveness finds the drummer twin ending the pre-encore set with a hooting drum solo for ‘23’, a moment that appears to reawaken the band’s lust for their staple songs and roots.

On record and live, Blonde Redhead can easily squat on a royal pedestal for the quality they constantly deliver, a result that appears incredibly natural. Tonight, finds the band still unnerved to conquer different directions for a flawless performance. They show how-it-is-done, whether using flashy light bulbs, an absorbing mask or bare, isolated instrumentals in ‘Love Or Prison’ and, in truth, it’s a wonder if their vision will ever run dry.  - Gemma Dempster