There is 'Something To Be Said' about Saint Clair’s London Show

Photo by Malishka Shaikh-Kannamwar

Last Wednesday, I went to see Saint Clair at The Shacklewell Arms. Apart from my excitement to get to go to the iconic venue I hadn’t been to before, I was also piqued by the band itself. With only one newly-released EP on all platforms, their show was still sold out, with everyone from middle-aged men to women in their 20’s practically bursting out of the jam-packed gig room.

The opener jo from school took the stage first. In a scarlet dress and her blonde hair backlit by the deep neon lighting on stage, she instantly commanded attention. With glassy vocals and crisp instrumental finishes to complement, each song felt like a perfect explosion – letting you in with the lyrics just enough before dropping into rough breakdowns. I especially enjoyed the lyricism on songs ‘Weight’ and ‘Julia Roberts’ where the melancholic tenderness in their sound shines best. Jo kept the space between songs fun and light as she joked about her “government name” being ‘jo from school’, and the terrible heat on stage (which seemed to be a theme that night as we collectively sweat oceans). The crowd warmly applauded the end of her set, before it was time for Saint Clair.

The first member that caught my eye was the guitarist Lawrence. He strummed with a confidence and charm of someone having the best time on stage, through which I was drawn into vicariously enjoying the show as well. I eventually searched the stage to find the drummer at the back of the stage in an arch (the layout of which I wished was better since she was mainly covered by the lead singer). Even though I couldn’t always see her, Beth’s drumming keeps every song’s pace right. Her command over the instrument kept the songs beating and blooming with a concrete beat to hold onto as vocals, bass and guitar moodily grew and withdrew from the songs. Not only does the group have incredible chemistry together, but the drummer especially also felt like the sonic glue of the group since most songs start and end with her.

My favourite was definitely their song ‘Gretchen’. It laments a relationship you probably should move on from, but the heartwrenching chorus repeats “I can feel you in my bones” as lead singer Toby hauntingly croons into the mic in a vocal performance classically reminiscent of the likes of Thom Yorke. It’s the band’s rawest lyricism, going as far as to even refer to this now passed relationship with lapsed hopes of their ex with a child. There is a helplessness arresting the song every time the chorus is played. At one point, I too missed Gretchen despite never having met her. It felt like I wasn’t the only one either, as the crowd yelled the lyrics with a fervour that took me by surprise. The song has been out for less than a month, yet people sang the lyrics as if they’ve grown up with it. That is one of Saint Clair’s strongest feats as well: they have a lived-in melancholy that doesn’t seem borrowed or posed, but, instead, lets you borrow from them. 

The venue’s lighting only aided this unabating mood. Lights across the venue rhythmically twinkled, almost starrily, as the stage lights swelled in and out of colour in accordance with the bass and scintillated off of the huge disco ball in the middle. It was mesmerising despite the sweat-hungry humidity in the room, which is a testament to the lighting team. The heat was overwhelming at times, even eliciting multiple acknowledgements from the band itself. I almost felt bonded to everyone in the sweatbox in a way survival show contestants probably feel after passing deadly rounds. 

The bassist Adam holds his own, steadily helping the band into their explosive crescendos, acting as the backbone for a lot of the songs which was definitely missed in the solo song Toby performed without any of the other members. While the lead singer is definitely talented (noteworthily showing off some dreamy vocal flips in the unreleased song ‘Dreams’), it is easy to find the band’s sound shrouded in the company of a lot of other indie bands out right now. It isn’t necessarily a bad thing; indie music is just highly saturated at the moment, and Saint Clair fits into the noise perfectly. They are good at what they do! It’s not usually what I would listen to, but they still caught my ear with songs like ‘Something To Be Said’ and 'Too Young To Notice'. I would definitely recommend checking them out on tour right now for a fun evening if nothing else. 

Listen to Saint Clair on Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud and follow them on Instagram. Listen to jo from school on Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud and follow them on Instagram.