The Horrors

The Horrors’ development as a band continues apace, with this year’s ‘Skying’ building on their confident rock aspirations and putting the final nail in the coffin of their previous punk incarnation. In a set that cherry-picks the strongest moments from both ‘Skying’ and previous album ‘Primary Colours’, it’s clear that the band’s latest offerings are as worthy of admiration as those on their hugely impressive precursor.

Exploding into action with an aggressive triplet of ‘Changing The Rain’, ‘Who Can Say’ and ‘I Can See Through You’, the band’s set never dips below striding and self-assured pop, and even when taking their foot off the throttle – in ‘Scarlet Fields’ and ‘Still Life’ – they ride on the momentum they’ve built up rather than dipping into pedestrianism. ‘Endless Blue’ best showcases that ability to switch between levels of aggression with ease, starting with a languid, jazz-inspired foundation before bursting into a snarling beast, while ‘Moving Further Away’ has become a worthy replacement for ‘Sea Within A Sea’ as the set-closer of choice. While the Mercury panel may not recognize those onstage as worthy of celebration, an enraptured and full-to-bursting Laneway Festival tent says otherwise.