Warhaus, the name given to Balthazer’s Maarten Devoldere, is one of the year’s most exciting solo projects; rich, operatic vocals paired with fast-paced riffs and reflective lyrics make for an electrifying sound that soars through venues even in its earliest stages. Brudenell Social Club was lucky enough to play host to this eclectic sound, with Warhaus playing tracks from their captivating debut album We Fucked a Flame into Being, a title stolen from D.H. Lawrence’s raunchy and originally controversial novel Lady Chatterley’s Lover.

Support for the show came in the form of Leeds based band Dusk, a female-fronted quartet with an unforgettable mix of dark, synthetic sounds, deep and melodic vocals and an effortless stage presence on behalf of lead vocalist Holly Matthews. The almost theatrical soaring vocals resonated through Brudenell, making the very hairs on the audience’s arms stand on end – I agreed with another audience member who had referred to the frontwoman as “PJ Harvey incarnate”. Dusk succeed in being synonymously dark and energetic, emotive and edgy. Stand out track ‘Dali’ utilised the band’s rhythmic, electronic keyboards and moody, repetitive bass to provide the perfect backing sound to the emotional lyrics (“We can take this step by step… or fall apart”), in order to create an eclectic mix of lyrics to make one cry and sounds to make one dance.

Following on from Dusk’s triumphant performance, Warhaus performed tracks from their debut album including ‘Bruxelles’, ‘Memory’, and ‘The Good Lie’. The Nick Cave-esque melodic, moody vocals and repetitive bass ensured that all eyes in Leeds’s favourite venue were glued to frontman Devoldere, with the small yet diverse crowd swaying in time to the sounds that managed to mirror the chills caused by the freezing northern winds outside. Although an intimate gig, Warhaus managed to display exactly what is right with both current music, particularly solo projects from old favourites, and Brudenell as a venue; familiarity, excitement, and most of all, really good music to go alongside cheap beer on a bitterly cold Monday night.

Poppie Platt