LIVE REVIEW: I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME, O2 Forum Kentish Town, 31/08/2021
Fresh off the back of their third UK appearance across the Reading and Leeds Festival weekend, the 80’s retro-esque dynamic duo from another time and universe that is I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME took to the O2 Forum in Kentish Town to bring a little bit of razzmatazz and pizzazz to the people of London town and the fantastical two piece did not disappoint on this sold-out headliner.
Like many artists and bands over the lockdown period, sitting on brand new material waiting to be brought to life in a live music setting has become the norm for the past eighteen months. Releasing their debut album Razzmatazz in October 2020 meant that IDKHOW have had a whole album worth of songs to stage, nearing on a year sitting in the two pieces back catalogue. Album singles Leave Me Alone, Razzmatazz and New Invention got a live airing in London with the utmost synth-pop seen and dancy-funk vibes around that night.
Set opener Do It All The Time however, kicked off this band’s time on tour down in Kentish Town. Walking on stage to a warm reception from an highly enthusiastic 2,000 strong crowd suited and booted in blazers for the sold-out occasion, vocalist Dallon Weekes and drummer Ryan Seaman burst into the groovy riff tinged and electronic blip filled number with suave and sophistication, something IDKHOW do to perfection every live show and new bit of material comes around.
Whilst the bands original material made up most of the fourteen track setlist, including song Sugar Pills, which featured an aptly timed extra added verse where the duo encouraged the crowd to get vaccinated, a collection of covers didn’t go a miss. Previous project of frontman Dallon Weekes, The Brobecks’ A Letter and Visitation of the Ghost, alongside The Cure’s iconic Boy’s Don’t Cry; a timeless track covered by the band previously proved to be widely approved by the receptive audience.
Set closer and classic IDKHOW cut Choke rounded out the duo’s time on their London headliner with pure fun, joy and bitter sweetness for the last song on the setlist. One of the bands biggest songs in their discography proved to be a worthy last hurrah, with its slower swaying sound and swinging style suited to wave a fond farewell to the Weekes and Seaman after a successful stint over here in the UK once more.
I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME headlining the O2 Forum in Kentish Town was a flamboyant show for the ages. Bringing the retro 80’s into the modern day, this duo never fails to bring some tasteful vintage tunes and their wild imaginations to life. From fiction to reality, IDKHOW put on a fabulously fun performance in London.
8.5/10
Written by: Katie Conway-Flood
