I had a wonderful time watching Manchester trio Shaking Hands perform a spooky gig on halloween night at The Louisiana, alongside lively local band 1000 legs, Manchester’s Holly Head and Normal Village from Leeds.
The Louisiana’s doors opened at 6:30 and everyone seemed equally eager to get inside, waiting for the night ahead in a carefully selected collection of Halloween costumes for the night ahead (my personal favourite being a minion). The night started off super strong with Bristol DIY scene staple 1000 legs setting the mood with quirky synths and hard-core energy on the venue’s bar stage. This was followed by Normal Village and Holly Head. Bands played across 2 parts of the venue (the bar and the live room) which made it feel like you were attending each band’s own unique gig.
To finish the night, Shaking Hand came on with a wonderful set list of post-rock melancholy tunes that put a sway in everyone’s step. Playing The Louisiana for the second time this year, their energy was unmatched. The vibe of the band’s new album (the self titled “Shaking Hand”) was perfect for the vibe of the Halloween Event - eerie, but balanced out by experimental guitar solos to add body and movement. The live room was bubbling with energy for the rest of the night. For such a small trio, the noise they made was outstanding and had me singing to myself all the way home (maybe the weird looks weren’t from the Halloween costume…). Highlights for me include the steady roll of the bass opening “In For a…Pound!”, which created a wonderful push-and-pull feeling in the crowd as well as my favourite, slightly slower-paced “Cable Ties” that picks up the pace heading towards the middle of the song, creating an exciting buzz of anticipation heading towards the final verses.
Shaking Hand playing The Louisiana via Shaking Hand’s Instagram, taken by Julia Rocha
A beautiful night of colour and spooky celebration from Shaking Hand, make sure to catch them the next time they play in Bristol!