As they proved on their 2022 debut ‘Guitar Music’, Courting’s playful, electronic-flecked rock sound has established the Merseyside band as one of the most thrilling new acts in recent years. Their live shows have grown to become a revelation, too: reviewing their debut Reading & Leeds appearance last August, NME described the four-piece as having “an abundance of huge enthusiasm and personality – much rarer commodities in British guitar music today than they should be.”
This evening, they double down on that description as they play a one-off show at the 100-capacity Kazimier Stockroom in Liverpool’s city centre that they’ve dubbed ‘The Wedding’ – perhaps a sly nod to Italian rockers Måneskin’s recent marriage stunt. The venue is adorned with bridal decorations, as white balloons and bridal veils are wrapped around mic stands. A formal dress code has also been made clear, even if ‘smartly dressed’ to some audience members means shoving a black tie over a Fred Perry polo.
Courting arrive on stage in full suit attire, and open with ‘Emily G’, a newbie that feels reminiscent of their earlier single ‘Jumper’, a slice of warped, ‘90s boyband-style pop. Minutes later, the crowd instantly descends into a mosh pit as the zigzagging riffs of ‘Tennis’ hit, while pints are flung and fancy suit jackets are quickly stuffed in the corner of the venue. This chaos is all part of Courting’s appeal – they’re always in on the joke.
The band continue to road test unreleased material, and each new track they play is exhilarating. ‘Flats’ proves to be a raucous shout-along, while ‘Happy Endings’ makes reference to Courting’s continued embrace of the internet, as frontman Sean Murphy-O’Neill sings of spending birthdays “watching reaction videos”. The lively and AutoTuned ‘Throw’ later carves itself out as a highlight; that so many fans already know the words to the demo suggests it could be on its way to becoming a genuine cult hit.
After charging through glitchy ‘Guitar Music’ highlight ‘Loaded’, the band start taking fan requests. Calls for early single ‘Football’ and Charli XCX covers are outnumbered by demands for ‘David Byrne’s Badside’, Courting’s 2020 breakout single. When played back to back, these tracks put into perspective the band’s creative growth in a short period of time.
By twisting guitar music with a post-modern flair, Courting continuously prove themselves to be one of the most innovative and elevated acts of the moment. Tonight, they deliver more than enough to suggest they deserve their acclaim.
Courting played:
‘Emily G’
‘Tennis’
‘Crass’
‘Flex’
‘Happy Endings’
‘Grand National’
‘Popshop!’
‘Jumper’
‘Throw’
‘America’
‘Famous’
‘Loaded’
‘David Byrne’s Badside’