Wet Leg review – 2022’s breakout indie stars on comically good form



‘The astir cheering popular communicative of the 12 months’ … Rhian Teasdale (left) and Hester Chambers of Wet Leg performing astatine the O2 Kentish Town Forum, London, 23 November 2022. Photograph: John Williams/REX/Shutterstock‘The maximum cheering popular communicative of the yr’ … Rhian Teasdale (left) and Hester Chambers of Wet Leg performing astatine the O2 Kentish Town Forum, London, 23 November 2022. Photograph: John Williams/REX/Shutterstock

O2 Kentish Town Forum, London
Despite having fans successful Iggy Pop and Barack Obama, the Isle of Wight duo are sticking with tiny venues for present – and enlivening them with joyousness and hilarity

Google’s “people besides ask” diagnostic is perpetually a beneficial penetration into nationalist opinion. Some of the questions requested astir the rapidly ascending Isle of Wight duo Wet Leg are effortlessly spoke back. “What does Wet Leg connote successful slang?” Nothing. “Is Wet Leg a pair?” No. Others necessitate immoderate explication: “Why is Wet Leg truthful popular?” and, exceptional of all, “What’s up with Wet Leg?”

Rhian Teasdale of Wet Leg. Photograph: John Williams/Rex/Shutterstock

The communicative of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers is the maximum cheering popular communicative of the year. They formed a set 3 years successful the past successful merry desperation aft their preceding, abstracted efforts astatine breaking into opus had failed, champion for his oregon her debut single, the rampaging, absurd Chaise Longue, to extremity up a lightning-in-a-bottle deed liked done Iggy Pop and Dave Grohl. (Barack Obama favours the terrible-birthday solemnisation anthem Angelica.) Their debut medium went to No 1 and lately earned them 5 Grammy nominations. Next summertime they volition assistance Pulp astatine Finsbury Park and Harry Styles astatine Wembley Stadium. The 2,300-capacity Forum request to person been booked earlier than the full batch kicked disconnected nevertheless they’ve wisely determined to enactment with the smaller venues astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic they nevertheless can.

John Irving arsenic soon arsenic said of Kurt Vonnegut that it’s not creaseless to beryllium that cleanable to examine. Similarly, it’s tougher than it appears to marque relatable indie stone – witty scenes from regular beingness acceptable to noisy melodies – with specified irresistible vim. Each euphony is expertly engineered to present a mates of hits of satisfaction, fractional of which deduce from Teasdale’s capableness to curl a syllable simply so. Her playfully charismatic shipping makes each opus acquisition arsenic if you’re proceeding a riotous anecdote from an astonishing pal. “Happy Wednesday,” says Teasdale, who appears to beryllium dressed arsenic a dairy husbandman successful a protracted skirt and headscarf. “Otherwise known arsenic small Saturday.”

Wet Leg perpetually negociate to task amusing, contempt the information that their lyrics often pass of frustration, ennui, ghastly boyfriends and wasted time. “And present I’m astir 28 / Still getting disconnected my silly face,” Teasdale laments astatine the shaggy, wistful I Don’t Wanna Go Out but it doesn’t dependable similar the worst facet wrong the international. With 3 other set participants, they marque a terrific racket. Their brisk, thin acceptable – 1 hour, nary encores – functions astir the implicit medium positive unreleased songs. I Want to Be Abducted (By a UFO) is arsenic daft arsenic the Ramonesy rubric implies, astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic the eerie ballad Obvious has a hint of Goldfrapp, theremin and all. They tin outpouring a marvel. While Elastica and Courtney Barnett are no-brainer notation points for sardonic punk-pop, it’s putting this nighttime however a bully woody the superior fractional of Too Late Now’s disaffected interior monologue resembles the Sugarcubes and what fig of songs person the crunchy value of grunge. With a bent to zig erstwhile you expect them to zag, Wet Leg person plentifulness of places to determination erstwhile the adjacent medium rolls round.

Hester Chambers of Wet Leg. Photograph: John Williams/Rex/Shutterstock

Already they’re successful a relation to cease with 4 elephantine songs that flip the Forum into a grinning, pogoing mass. The scorched-earth damage-up euphony Ur Mum consists of thing but hooks and provides the nighttime time’s ample acceptable piece. When the way stops for the assemblage to unleash their “longest and loudest scream”, there’s a implicit 30 seconds earlier than it slams backmost in. It’s cathartic, ecstatic and ridiculous . They thin into the splendid silliness of Chaise Longue with the assistance of reappearing successful achromatic world robes and mortarboards. A snowstorm of confetti engulfs a unexpected horde of dancers dressed arsenic characters from their question pictures, inclusive of unit of the aforementioned dairy farm, earlier than the euphony climaxes with a acceptable hug and an extended, reverberating guitar drone.

When Chaise Longue came out, sceptics wondered if Wet Leg could beryllium greater than a lightweight novelty, arsenic though this an atrocious batch wit and eccentricity had been suspect. They person proven that they're a large woody much than that nevertheless that euphony does incorporate the essence of what makes them truthful cherishable. Music tin speech to utmost instances nevertheless it tin beryllium nary overmuch little captious erstwhile it aspires to pleasance and hilarity. One fantastic delight this nighttime is seeing pistillate pals astir the venue outcry lyrics astatine each different, similar myriad replicate versions of Teasdale and Chambers. Giddy pridefulness crackles betwixt set and people marketplace similar energy astir a circuit. So that’s what’s up with Wet Leg.

At O2 Kentish Town Forum, 24 November, past journeying.