I first heard of Savages after reading a profile of the band in "The New Yorker" a month or so ago. I checked them out on iTunes and liked what I heard. I bought their album, "Silence Yourself," and fell for it. Hard. It's raw, driving, splintery, with great hooks. Each instrument -- guitar, base, and drums -- is clear, distinct, and urgent in the mix. And I love lead singer Jehnny Beth's voice, even if I can't quite make out what she's singing about most of the time.
Last week, I was doing a casual check on the web to see if Savages were touring Europe anytime soon and discovered that they were the opening act for Portishead in Prague on June 19. I had no real desire to see Portishead, but there was no way I was not going to go to see Savages.
In the end, I paid $70 to see an opening act. I left the Portishead show after two songs. Just not my thing.
But Savages, my goodness. They came on precisely at 8 p.m. and played a blistering 40-minute set. The crowd at that point was sparse and I was able to easily get right up front. (That's my photograph above.) I'm not sure any of the folks standing around me had ever even heard of Savages before, although they seemed to enjoy the show.
It was a perfect night of rock 'n' roll.
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