Special Interest @ Walthamstow Trade Hall
As I walked through northeast London on the way to Special Interest’s show, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The show was announced last-minute and only days after the band cancelled a large chunk of their European tour in support of a newly released remix of their 2022 Endure. Now, on November 21st, they were playing Walthamstow Trade Hall. Would the band have the energy for a final sendoff? At a British union hall?
As I entered the trade hall, I was met by the comforting sights and smells of a classic dive bar: cheap pints, loud music, an old dance floor in the front, and a pool table in the back. The institution dates back to 1919, when a group of local union members met and decided to found a members’ club for the workers on the outskirts of London. The club opened in 1920 with a performance by a brass band. Over a century later, the club has a welcoming DIY charm that looks like how you’d imagine it used to when it first opened, though the gambling machines and soundtrack have certainly been updated.
As I waited in the seemingly endless queue for drinks, I marveled at the crowd. Every generation showed up – from old punks who might have seen the Sex Pistols live (or at least will tell you they did) to the local youths. And, most importantly, Special Interest was there to put on a remarkable show for all in attendance.
From the first song, the band was electric. The four-piece blended techno, disco, and punk influences into a pulsating, distorted slurry that left the audience’s ears ringing long after the music ended. Singer Alli Logout exudes enough charisma to fill a stadium, even though we were in a 250-cap room . Leering over the crowd, they oscillated between sneering like the most righteously indignant punks and soaring above the instruments like some disco star of a bygone era. Guitarist Maria Elena built walls of noise on top of the foundation provided by drum machine and synth extraordinaire Ruth Mascelli. Bassist Nathan Cassiani was not present and, though I’m sure he was sorely missed, the rest of the band capably picked up the slack.
The band may be from New Orleans but they felt right at home in the UK. Maybe it’s because of the authentic old school punk attitude, maybe it’s because of some finger gun-worthy breaks towards the end of their set, or maybe it’s even because members are anglophiles who follow The Great British Bake Off religiously. They’ve certainly connected with the UK; they recently signed to London-based indie label Rough Trade Records and the night was put on by Disciples, a label which has previously released some spectacular electronic pieces from Mascelli.
It’s impossible to pin the band down with comparisons to anything that has come before. You could say they sound like Y2K era Nine Inch Nails with a disco singer or the B-52s from ‘90s Berlin, but it all sounds like nonsense. Special Interest’s members simply identify as “genre non-conforming”. I’d tell you to listen to their albums (and you should!) to understand them, but recordings don’t do the band’s live act justice. The crowd buzzed with that sort of post-workout energy after the set, they clearly thrilled Brits of all kinds that night.