Halloween seemed a fitting backdrop for Let’s Eat Grandma to make their debut in Nottingham. The duo played to a packed (and surprisingly mixed) crowd at The Bodega, opening immediately with acclaimed single Deep Six Textbook. One of the few interactions with the crowd followed a technical issue as they joked about that being all for the show, they quickly shifted back into their mysterious guises soon after.
In glittery jackets and with their hair draped over their faces its clear that Let’s Eat Grandma have carefully constructed their aesthetics, with a hypnotising live effect. They played to the stereotypes and expectations of childishness with clapping handshakes in songs and dancing around the stage; collectively they subvert the power from the critics that are quick to point out their age. The music video for Sax in the City manipulates this even further, dressing up in baby grows and crawling around to mock those who assume they are not mature enough to be self-aware of the image they portray.
Eat Shiitake Mushrooms was a mash of rap and xylophones and a steady beat to the fascination of the crowd who were bobbing along with them. Rapunzel delved into their darker and more intense side as they screamed in perfect pitch about the fairytale, their childish lyrics contrast the music making it an unsettling experience. The band are definitely not afraid to experiment as each song had Rosa and Jenny switching places and constantly changing their formation. Moving from saxophone to recorder to keyboard to drums, all whilst keeping their vocals in sync they proved almost twin-like in their movements showing off flawless execution. An impressive show of range and skill for a two-man group. They bewitched the crowd with their hypnotic bass lines and beats using loops whilst they nodded and drooped, hunched over their instruments as if possessed.
Once again they broke out of their personas with a ‘thank you’ – barely enough evidence to prove their inner personalities. Although their set was short there was a good range including non-album releases, and they had material to spare as album tracks were left out hopefully to be seen on the next tour. Let’s Eat Grandma are breaking barriers in experimental music and outshone all expectations, not bad for some college kids.
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