Anything but Humdrum: London welcomed Home Counties with immense energy
Home Counties round off their tour at their biggest show in Scala.
Photo: Luca Bailey
Following their set at the Schippersweekend Festival in Belgium, Bristol collective Home Counties celebrated the release of their sophomore album Humdrum with a two-month UK tour. They began their pilgrimage in the southwest coastal city of Portsmouth, working up the west to Glasgow, and returning southeast to London. The band ended the tour, and thus their album victory run, with their biggest performance yet at a sardine-packed Scala in King’s Cross.
First to greet the audience was EDM collective Parker Fans. The Amsterdam trio set the tone for the night with a mix of grooving basslines, energetic drum loops, and synths. This brought together an animated set ranging from 90s drum and bass to house, of course complemented with some classic hip-hop beats.
Punk act My First Time was next on the stage. Similarly from Bristol, they presented a fitting support act for Home Counties with their vigorous alt-punk and electronic mix. Their personal and politically charged lyrics matched the driving drum beats with a crunchy guitar tone filling the room.
Home Counties walked on to a slow, pumping synth loop into the album’s intro track Take You Back, with frontmen Will and Lois greeting the audience with anticipated vocal lines. The four-on-the-floor beat sparked the audience into an animated dance.
An energetic rendition of Bethnal Green followed — this callback to their first album was warmly received by the audience. Will greeted the audience to a resounding cheer before announcing the next song.
Title track Humdrum followed. The quick tempo and busy bass, compounded with the fun vocals, was matched by the energy of the band. Their excitement could be felt throughout the show. The album’s tertiary track New Best Thing brought the audience into energetic song and dance.
Following Exactly As It Seems and Funk U Up, both recordings from the band's debut album Exactly As It Seems, Will called for any expats in the audience to make themselves known. This fitting interlude was the intro for their new track Spain. The blended bossa verses with funk choruses opened a new musical feel not yet heard in the set.
Vocalist Will revealed his recorder for the band’s mischievous 2020 single Dad Bod. The band saw a wave of nostalgia wash over the audience to their early days. This track was followed by a romantic introduction to their waterfall release, Meet Me In The Flat Roof. The crowd romantically opened a mosh pit in response.
Following this, they were joined by someone in a suit to fiercely dance to the final single from Humdrum, Roundabout. They made their exit to the right of the stage for the band to then play Wild Guess and You Break It You Bought It, with the latter song’s speech performed by the bassist.
The band then donned Santa hats and sleigh bells to introduce their Christmas single Better Last Year (Home Counties for Christmas), releasing at midnight that night. The song presented a satirical yet relatable view into Christmas seasons becoming more glum as one gets older, with mundanity taking over the usual festive cheer.
This was then followed by the sorrowful “last song” Like That. Will announced a false goodbye as the band walked to the left and off the stage. Home Counties then blessed the audience with the first track of their previous album, Uptight. The Audience responded in kind with dances, moshes and cheering. A gratifying, yet humdrum-less round off to the Humdrum release tour.