When you’re at SXSW, you go to see buzz bands. It’s just something one does. And this year, the buzziest of the buzzed about new acts on the lineup was Isle of Wight indie rockers Wet Leg.
The band, led by the duo of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, has been garnering quite a bit of publicity over the last little while, first coming onto the scene with their excellent ear worm of a single “Chaise Longue” and they’re set to release their self-titled debut album next month. All of this, combined with the fact that they were only playing a handful of times during the week, meant long lineups at all of their shows.
Our solution? Use our privilege as badge-holders to take in their Friday afternoon set at the Austin Convention Center’s Radio Day Stage. After all, those shows are never all that packed and … oh. OK, then.
Yup, even that show was pretty packed, although after a short time in line, we got in pretty easily and waited for the show to begin. But the question remains – did they live up to the hype? Well, in a way, yes and no. And since it’s always better to end on a positive note, we’ll start with the reason why this show didn’t quite make the grade for me. The main drawback to this set was the fact that it was happening mid-afternoon inside of a convention center, which gave it a bit of a different vibe. That’s never the optimal environment for a rock show and so it was probably always bound to fall a bit short of the hype. But really, that’s no fault of the band, so let’s move on.
Despite my misgivings about the venue, Wet Leg did still put on an enjoyable performance that was a lot of fun … though I suspect any of their other sets from this week were likely better. Nevertheless, it was a pleasure to see songs like “Wet Dream”, “Oh No” and “Angelica” performed live. It all sounded great, the band seemed to be having fun with it, and Teasdale made for a charming frontwoman with her soft spoken and deadpan stage banter. And by the time the band ended things off with set closer “Chaise Longue”, it was hard to walk away unsatisfied.