For over 10 years now, Scottish outfit Young Fathers have been steadily rising. Along the way, their unique mashup of dark pop, industrial, trip-hop and indie rock has garnered them numerous accolades from critics. It’s been over four years since Young Fathers have toured the U.S., and though they haven’t caught on here to the extent that they have in the UK, they have managed to cultivate a loyal following nonetheless. The release of their incredible new album Heavy Heavy – their first since 2018’s Cocoa Sugar – has given them a reason to be back on the road. On Thursday, September 28th, the group descended on Portland, Oregon’s Revolution Hall for an explosive performance in front of an eager crowd.
The band hit the stage and let Alloysious Massaquoi lay down the a capella opening to the aptly titled “Get Started,” letting a moment of quiet suspense linger before erupting into a full band sound that would continue for the remainder of the set and never let up. From this point on, their entrancing barrage of sound was nearly impossible to stand still for. On songs like “Queen Is Dead,” “Get Up,” “Rain Or Shine,” “Old Rock n Roll, and “Be Your Lady,” each band member was constantly active to make for a richly layered sound that enveloped the listener and made it impossible to resist dancing along to. In these songs and others, the music was riveting and seismic, causing this writer to wonder why on earth they are not headlining arenas (they will, however, be opening for Depeche Mode on their U.S. tour this fall). Massaquoi, Graham “G” Hastings and Kayus Bankole rotated in vocals with the help of their background singers as they manifested a musical form of frenetic-yet-controlled chaos in their performance. Songs like “Rice,” “Ululation” and “Geronimo” each showcased their knack for incorporating elements of hip-hop, brooding soul, anthemic post-punk, and a potent revolutionary spirit into a performance that at times felt akin to one of the most intense drug experiences you could have with its swirling dance of pleasure, pain and unexpected twists. All of this was enhanced by the kind of percussive force that felt almost theatrical in the level of drama it created within the music.
Though the band wrapped their set at exactly the one-hour mark after closing with “Toy” and didn’t return for an encore, there wasn’t a single soul in attendance who felt cheated. After all, they had just packed more ferocious energy, talent, and sheer power into their performance than most bands could do in three hours. This is the magic of Young Fathers: their ability to hit like a storm and then dissipate into the night. Their Portland appearance was long-anticipated and it only took a single hour for them to remind their fans why they are one of the best live acts currently on tour.
