HAPPY NEW YEAR • The Macbeth, London (June 1, 2011)

Eleanor Logan may only be one 7″ single into her solo career as HAPPY NEW YEAR but the Australian expat is no ingénue when it comes to making a racket. Formerly the keyboardist for award-winning outfit The Tremors, and having recorded with American post-hardcore band Hot Snakes, she’s experienced in the art of noise-pop and mixes atmosphere and squall to startling effect.

Following last week’s UK live debut in support of No Joy, Eleanor took to the stage for a headlining show at The Macbeth with Tough Troubles’ Giles Davis on drum machine beats (plus some bell-ringing help from a friend on opening number ‘Sea’) for a taster of her forthcoming album, which she’s planning to release through an independent French label later this year. Live, the familiar ‘Hotel’ and ‘Twins’ were amped up and harder hitting, while new songs ‘Stone Fox’, ‘Gold Medallion’ and ‘And…Begin!’ sounded impressively large for a duo ensemble, full of hissing distortion and cracking beats. For ‘Gold Medallion’, Eleanor dove to her knees and started bashing her guitar strings with one of the bells, creating an almost euphoric peal of clanging mayhem.

She’ll be back in the UK later this year – don’t miss it!

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Photos by Odhran O’Donoghue.

Tagged eleanor logan, happy new year