On the same day that the Welsh brothers and production duo release their refined and experimental sophomore album, they shut down a sold-out Old Royal Naval College with one of the sets of the summer. It simply doesn’t get much better than that.
You know those live shows that immediately feel seminal? You’re in the midst of thousands of punters, all sharing a moment that supersedes normality, one that takes you to another planet, leaves you reeling in its wake, longing desperately for more? One of these shows happened in South East London on Friday 7th August. It was a day that ordained two Welsh brothers the untouchable kings of British electronic music.
Let’s take it back a few hours. It’s swelteringly hot, around 2pm, as I step off the DLR at Deptford Bridge, removing “Lockup” from my ears, dapping up my boy who I’m meeting for a few pre-lagers. We walk with a swagger that only befits the excitement of a show like today’s. It’s release o’clock for Tom and Ed Russell’s Overmono; Pure Devotion, their sophomore album, shared via the best label in the country, XL Recordings. Technically mesmeric, gloriously hedonistic, the album boasts features from the likes of cult poet John Joseph Holt and R&B frontrunners Jaz Karis and Mahalia, and is the most sonically diverse and emotionally sprawling work they’ve ever put out. A wonderful addition to a peerless canon.
We step into a boozer to wet the whistle, meeting a friendly cat along the way, before heading to a pre-event pop-up that couldn’t feel more synonymous with what Overmono are all about. To celebrate the release of their new record, the lads have taken over Deptford’s favourite pub Dog & Bell, and redefined it as “The Two Dogs” for the day. There are hundreds of people here getting the afternoon drinks in pre-show, with Tom and Ed coming through to pour some pints at one point.
After a few jars, we wander riverside towards the venue, both awaiting the arrival of our plus ones, so we get a few Aperol Spritzes in by Cutty Sark, and admire the idiosyncrasy of London’s strangest – and one of its most compelling – areas. Eventually the other guys show, and we’re diving headfirst into the evening. We catch some of Nick Leon b2b Verraco from the side-stage VIP, before being blown away by the superb Portuguese-Danish polymath Erika De Casier. We run into several heads in and outside the industry. Everyone who is anyone in London seems to be within the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College, a historic building that has today been launched into the future.
We weave into the crowd, getting right in the mix; barely room to breathe but plenty to dance. From the off, we get back-to-back anthems; the new wave classic electro-rap classic “Freedom 2”, a 2023 collaboration with fellow production maestro Joy Orbison and Class A driller Kwengface, comes early into the set and turns the mood ravenous. Our corner of the crowd becomes a fight for survival. Bar one muscled, immovable poser who remains motionless and emotionless while everyone gets wild around him. There’s always one.
Other standout moments include a rousing rendition of “Knight in Shining Prada” with the aforementioned wordsmith John Joseph Holt, a heavy spinning of Ruthven-featuring “Gem Lingo”, and all-time favourite “Good Lies”. The Russells clap back to the audience as the show reaches its climax, finishing up far too early for all of our liking.
After one final debrief pint and a DLR journey home, I’m still abuzz. Overmono have been in the upper echelon of UK electronic music for a decade, but with these latest successes, the brothers have gone clear. I’d get to a show this autumn if I were you – I know I will be.
Words – Ben Tibbits
Photography – Ross Davidson
