Lonelady + Factory Floor @ Abbeydale Picture House

The authentic quality of the peeling walls inside the highly understated Picture House are often personified by the rough ’n’ ready characteristics of the bands hosted there. And that couldn’t have been more the case with Lonelady; a fuzzy yet danceable four-piece who opened Friday night’s Sensoria event.

Julia Campbell (aka Lonelady) romanticised over her “strange connection with the past” and unusual dark spaces, during her recent chat with Exposed; which perhaps explained why she appeared so invigorated here when presenting tracks from new LP Hinterland. Whilst there’s no doubt the band infected the audience with their enthusiasm, their set fell short in other areas.

Lo-fi guitar twiddlings jigged in a melodically but unimaginative and samey fashion. On record Lonelady’s synths complement the atmosphere created by weaving stealthily between the sound of the guitar, however in the live arena they squawked an octave too high. Nevertheless these deficiencies by no means doused a very active crowd, one that responded in a way Campbell will have revelled in.

Finally, Factory Floor entered the converted cinema – ditching their predecessor’s guitars and replacing them with acidic bass squelches, mysterious vox samples and uncontrollable cowbells. Although their occasionally monotonous beats transpired in a way that didn’t become everyone’s cup of hot Yorkshire tea, their abrasive, industrial rhythms wholly delivered on the promise set from their self-titled record.

‘Fall Back’ and ‘Two Different Ways’ became highlights in a set that made you wonder why these characters (that have been going for over a decade now) hadn’t received the level of attention that fellow blistering, punk-tinged, dance experimentalists Liars and Fuck Buttons boast.

Overall, this was a gig showcasing a very niche taste, but one that didn’t fail in shifting a largely middle aged crowd from their spot.

By Jordan Foster