Starcrawler @ Boston Music Room, London

Starcrawler @ Boston Music Room, London, 5th September 2017

Starcrawler - pic Julie Hicklin

As if spawned from an unholy union of Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper and the Sex Pistols, LA’s stellar Starcrawler are the screaming new kids on the block. No apologies here for not referencing any frontwomen, as Arrow de Wilde is beyond gender, and sweet safe female singer stereotypes. Her feral fabulousness blazes a new path and when she says she has ants in her pants you immediately start to itch.

Starcrawler - pic Stewart Wood

Her body behaves as if it’s plugged into the mains in a Frankenstein film - jerky, jittery, a spitting, writhing, at times straightjacketed, spectacle.

Starcrawler may be underpinned by solid rock and roll, but this is a new teenage incarnation, and the songs shine bright like a neon-faceted diamond, but are as compact and joyful as anything the Ramones could muster.

Starcrawler - pic Stewart Wood

At this show, the crowd was music biz-heavy, with a good sprinkling of DJs and gawping bands. More beard-stroking than moshpit, Starcrawler didn’t quite reap the rewards they deserved for such a thunderous performance. But they kept it locked on overdrive, converting the faithless to their church of crashing chords. Catch them as soon as they are back in town.

Starcrawler - pic Stewart Wood