WORDS AND IMAGES BY DESH KAPUR
It was a baking hot Saturday, but I was going to see Haim and that is cool so I guess it evened out! It was the brilliant O2 Victoria Warehouse for tonight’s show and it was sold out, not only that, they had sold out the next night at the same venue as well.
Haim, meaning “life” in Hebrew, are an American band, based in Los Angeles and comprising three sisters, Este (bass guitar and vocals), Danielle (lead vocals, guitar, and drums), and Alana Haim (guitars, keyboards, and vocals). In addition to their primary instruments, each is proficient in several others.
The sisters grew up in a musical family and began playing instruments from an early age in the cover band Rockinhaim, fronted by their parents, Moti and Donna. The two elder sisters, Este and Danielle, performed briefly with the pop group Valli Girls in 2005, releasing a few songs on soundtrack and compilation albums under that name. In 2007, they formed Haim with younger sister Alana but did not seriously consider it a professional career for some years. After Danielle became a successful touring guitarist, first with Jenny Lewis and later with Julian Casablancas, Haim reformed as a full-time operation in 2012.
The group’s first release, “Forever” (an EP released as a limited-time download), combined with a positive reception at the South by Southwest Festival, led to a deal with Polydor Records and a management deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation group in mid-2012. The band began recording material for their first album, “Days Are Gone” (2013), in sessions between touring dates, including appearances at the Glastonbury Festival. The album charted in the top ten in several countries, including the number-one spot in the UK, and the group had won several “best of” awards by the end of 2013. They were nominated for Best New Artist at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards. Their second album, “Something to Tell You”, was released in July 2017. Their third album, titled “Women in Music Pt. III”, was released in June 2020. The group received nominations at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards for Album of the Year (for “Women in Music Pt. III”) and Best Rock Performance. Quite a meteoric rise to fame.
As I entered the venue, I was blown away! I haven’t seen Victoria Warehouse this packed for a long time. There were people from every walk of life there, old, young, gay, straight, it was a multiverse of brilliant colours and vibrant people; you could feel the joy and excitement permeating the air so I took a big breath and entered the venue and settled down for a show that I knew was going to be amazing.
The lights went out and the band take the stage one by one, as they gradually build up the band during ‘Now I’m In It’. The staging is minimal, the lighting is stark, and it gives everything an uber cool rock feel, it also gives the three girls the space to move between instruments and bounce around the stage. “I Know Alone” follows complete with a choreographed dance break before Alana kicks off a three-way drum circle that vibrates the red brick wall of the old Liverpool warehouse and they launch into “Up from A Dream” and now the venue is so loud I expect to roof to be blown off at any minute. Hot and sweaty, just the way a rock and roll show should be.
As the Californian sisters play through their back catalogue and impressive career, they work the crowd with joy and pure love of what they do so well. Their happiness on the stage, seemed to be as contagious as Covid, so by the end of the night we were all infected with Haim! The early release of summer sweet pop-rock sits comfortably with more layered and complex recent tracks.
Tonight’s show was a true masterclass in how to entertain, and play a brilliant show, at the same time. From the beginning with “Now I’m In It” where they finished the song playing drum solos, to the final encore bangers of “The Wire” and “Steps” they had the whole of The Victoria Warehouse eating out of their collective palms.
Haim are here to stay, I have no doubt in my mind about that. Multi-instrumentalists, with three-part harmonies that The Beach Boys would be proud of, their unique brand of Country-tinged pop rock is in parts Alanis Morrissette and Fleetwood Mac. But add in on-point beats and samples that Dr Dre himself would be proud of, their funky little dance routines, all-round joyful and super cool performance, and I would have to sum up the night by saying their future is so bright they really will have to wear shades.
SET LIST
1/ NOW I’M IN IT
2/ I KNOW ALONE
3/ UP FROM A DREAM
4/ MY SONG
5/ WANT YOU BACK
6/ 3AM
7/ I’VE BEEN DOWN
8/ GASOLINE
9/ LEANING ON YOU
10/ HALLELUJAH
11/ MAN FROM THE MAGAZINE
12/ FUBT
13/ LOS ANGELES
14/ DON’T WANNA
15/ FOREVER
16/ SUMMER GIRL
ENCORE
17 THE WIRE
18/ STEPS
FOLLOW HAIM
My life is a soundtrack, i track my life through music, photography is my passion, my escape, my expression. Without both i have pieces missing, thankfully i’m blessed and get to combine both.
Born in Manchester, lived in Australia for 22 years where i was heavily involved in the Australian Music Industry, firstly in bands (Singer) and then managing bands (all original), I moved back to the UK, Wales specifically 10 years ago and married my childhood sweetheart and life is good.
