Wild Beasts at Baby's All Right
photo by Maryanne Ventrice

Wild Beasts celebrated 'Boy King' at Baby's All Right (pics, setlist, review)

photos by Maryanne Ventrice

Wild Beasts have always dealt with primal urges lyrically, but their new album Boy King puts those themes into the music, a sexual thump and slap delivered with distorted synths. It comes across even more so live, with charismatic frontmen Hayden Thorpe and Tom Flemming selling it, Ben Little showing that some of those sounds you might think are synths are actually effect-laden guitar filigrees, and drummer Chris Talbot holding things steady whether blunt or subtle.

Wednesday night (8/10) was a one-off record release show for Boy King and the crowd at Baby’s All Right were very into it, with countless shouts of “WILD FUCKING BEASTS!,” one person yelling “Ben Little, sleep with my wife!” and another person fainting during the second song (“Get My Bang”), briefly pausing the show. I’m a fan of the new album but it definitely comes off better live, more human, more visceral. These are very talented musicians and performers — while most of the focus on Thorpe is with his unique voice, he is also great bass player.

Both of my favorite songs on the album, “Ponytail” and “Alpha Female,” made it into the set — they played 3/4 of the record — and they hit most of the highlights of their previous albums, including “Wanderlust,” “We Still Got the Taste Dancing’ On Our Tongues,” “Hooting and Howling,” “All the Kings Men” and a radically reworked “Devil’s Crayon.” Setlist is below and pictures from the night are above.

Wild Beasts will be back this fall for a proper North American tour, including two NYC stops.

SETLIST: Wild Beasts @ Baby’s All Right 8/10/2016
Tough Guy
Get My Bang
A Simple Beautiful Truth
Big Cat
We Still Got The Taste Dancin’ On Our Tongues
Ponytail
Bed of Nails
He the Colossus
Daughters
Hooting & Howling
Mecca
Alpha Female

Encore:
Celestial Creatures
The Devil’s Crayon / Palace
Wanderlust
All the King’s Men

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