Madrid's Hinds follow a philosophy as simple as their charmingly sparse garage rock: nuestras mierdas, nuestras reglas. In English, it means "our shit, our rules," and it wasn't hard to see that the foursome are quite serious about adhering to it on stage. Performing for the very first time in Toronto, they were commanding their fans to join in and embrace the band's fizzy attitude.
"Are you ready to dance a little bit?" guitarist/vocalist Carlotta Cosials asked before they launched into "Trippy Gum." The modest yet enthusiastic crowd was ready, and so were Hinds, moving in synchronized leg kicks and guitar swings that suggested their choreography was only half finished. Still, they inspired some brave fella to crowd surf on "Between Cans," one of the most unfriendly crowd-surfing songs in the band's limited repertoire. Upfront about their lack of songs, they admitted they were "embarrassed" by it, but that we can all expect more to come for their upcoming album (due in 2016 via Mom + Pop).
No one seemed to mind the short set, though. A small but bona fide mosh pit broke out for "Castigadas en el Granero," which again demonstrated that it didn't matter what song was playing for their fans to get fired up. Ending with a cover of Thee Headcoatees' "Davy Crockett," Hinds went out with a bang, sending the crowd home chanting a celebratory "gabba gabba hey!"
Openers Public Access TV, once hailed by the NME as "New York's Hottest New Band," prepared the crowd with their stylized retro rock, which if this were 2002 all over again, would have made them the headliners in a much bigger venue. That isn't a dig; the quartet's hooky guitar sound is as convincingly in debt to the Modern Lovers and the Cars as the Strokes' was. "Monaco" was a magnificent jam that sounded as tight as the studio version, and "Metropolis" proved they don't have to always rock out. But asking if we "believe in rock'n'roll," as they did in "Middle Child" felt a bit trite in this day and age.
The best part came when guitarist Xan Aird dedicated a song to his grandma — who was in attendance — then demanded people to "fucking give her a round of applause." The crowd obliged, and Public Access TV gained a moment much more memorable than their performance.
"Are you ready to dance a little bit?" guitarist/vocalist Carlotta Cosials asked before they launched into "Trippy Gum." The modest yet enthusiastic crowd was ready, and so were Hinds, moving in synchronized leg kicks and guitar swings that suggested their choreography was only half finished. Still, they inspired some brave fella to crowd surf on "Between Cans," one of the most unfriendly crowd-surfing songs in the band's limited repertoire. Upfront about their lack of songs, they admitted they were "embarrassed" by it, but that we can all expect more to come for their upcoming album (due in 2016 via Mom + Pop).
No one seemed to mind the short set, though. A small but bona fide mosh pit broke out for "Castigadas en el Granero," which again demonstrated that it didn't matter what song was playing for their fans to get fired up. Ending with a cover of Thee Headcoatees' "Davy Crockett," Hinds went out with a bang, sending the crowd home chanting a celebratory "gabba gabba hey!"
Openers Public Access TV, once hailed by the NME as "New York's Hottest New Band," prepared the crowd with their stylized retro rock, which if this were 2002 all over again, would have made them the headliners in a much bigger venue. That isn't a dig; the quartet's hooky guitar sound is as convincingly in debt to the Modern Lovers and the Cars as the Strokes' was. "Monaco" was a magnificent jam that sounded as tight as the studio version, and "Metropolis" proved they don't have to always rock out. But asking if we "believe in rock'n'roll," as they did in "Middle Child" felt a bit trite in this day and age.
The best part came when guitarist Xan Aird dedicated a song to his grandma — who was in attendance — then demanded people to "fucking give her a round of applause." The crowd obliged, and Public Access TV gained a moment much more memorable than their performance.