It’s always a blessing to see a young band at the beginning of their career. These early shows often communicate a direct reflection of the vision – and promise – that comes with urgent artistic expression. You can identify influences, often directly, and witness the unique presence and charisma that is likely to conjure the ultimate form the band will take down the road.
But, I have to confess, it’s strange to enter the hallowed ground of a small club turned barn – so rustic it’s even lacking a coat check – to see a group of mid 20s musicians play to a crowd that’s mostly in their mid 50s. Sold out months in advance, English Teacher‘s Berlin gig seems to have mostly attracted a middle-aged audience, who read of them in magazine pages rather than finding them through TikTok. Granted, English Teacher did win the Mercury Prize this year, which gave them the widespread approval of institutional cultural criticism. Is indie a nostalgic genre of the past, a language mostly reserved for ageing hipsters?
I don’t do well with cynicism, and anyways – before I can dwell too much on this, the band is already on stage, rushing into a heavy rendition of their hit, “R&B”. There isn’t really a pit, but the brute force communicates well. From there on, the band continues into a full rendition of their debut album, plus one “new song”.
Extended to a line-up of five (at times six) people for their touring band, the group manages effortlessly to recreate the rich, sonic palette of their debut This Could Be Texas. What’s especially interesting is how complex their compositions become when played in front of spectators. At times, the group delve into the nervous, jazzy post-punk of Ludus. Other times, their elaborate instrumentals recall the early work of Yes, or David Bowie’s pre-Ziggy, classicist period.
Vocalist Lily Fontaine uses her register masterfully, and her magnetic energy blossoms whenever she is able to dive into especially emotive, or euphoric passages. At times, she wanders over to bassist Nicholas Eden to watch the rest of the band from his perspective, smiling sheepishly before returning to dive into her next verse. It makes sense, considering how fluidly guitarist Dan Thomas and drummer Douglas Frost perform. Her vital energy as frontperson is crystal clear whenever she pirouettes across the stage, then freezing without movement for a different solo, or briefly giggling at a line.
Many times, the converted club space seems too small for the band. There’s an epic, soulful energy to their songs, from the rambunctious “Nearly Daffodils” to the deeply sad “You Blister my Paint” that seems almost primed for a big light show and sweating crowd mass, that seem to come from a different era.
English Teacher started in 2018, when the members were about 20. These are musicians which have had a lot of time to craft and polish their material, to rehearse it and already explore what the next phase of their art will look like.
After about an hour of music, leaving a crowd that cheers for an encore for an astonishing ten minutes, the impression lasts to have seen a much bigger, more seasoned band at an intimate show for family and friends.
Yes – if you have a chance to see English Teacher now: rush to it! Soon, they will break through the narrow walls of their early stages. Here, from the first row, they are as exciting and energetic group as any of the ‘Windmill scene’ acts of the last years.
