Live Concert Photography: Dream Wife and Sabri at Rough Trade 1/23/18

Live Concert Photography: Dream Wife and Sabri at Rough Trade 1/23/18

Deriving their name as a commentary on society’s objectification of women, the London-based punk rock trio Dream Wife, comprised of Icelandic-born, London-based Rakel Mjöll (vocals), Alice Go (guitar, vocals) and Bella Podapec (bass, vocals) met while the trio were attending art school in Brighton, UK — with Mjöll, Go and Podapec forming the band in 2015 as part of an art project conceptualized around the  idea of a band born out of one girl’s memories of growing up in Canada during the 1990s.  And since their formation, the trio quickly developed a national profile, as they’ve received critical praise for their earliest releases and their live shows from the likes of NPR, DIY, Stereogum, Nylon, Entertainment Weekly and others. Adding to a growing profile, the trio have toured across the European Union, opened for Sleigh Bells and The Kills during their respective US tours, and have played a number of the world’s biggest festivals, including SXSW.

Dream Wife’s highly anticipated self-titled debut was released last week, and from the album’s most recent single “Hey! Heartbreaker,” the British based punk trio’s sound features stomp and shout in the mosh pit worthy hooks, fuzzy and angular guitar chords and a steady backbeat in a fashion that’s reminiscent of Is Is and Fever to Tell-era Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Elastica, complete with a brassy, kick ass and take names self-assuredness and bratty mischievousness at its core. The up-and-coming punk trio with New York-based genre-defying artist Sabri opened for Sleigh Bells at Rough Trade last week. Check out photos below.

Sabri, which means patience in Arabic is the solo recording project of New York-based artist Sam Sundos. The project, as described by Sundos pulls from a variety of influences and genres including the Velvet Underground, The Stone Roses, Frank Ocean, as well as incorporating visual and performance art, reportedly taking a page from the Downtown New York music and art scenes of the early 80s; but interestingly enough, lyrically, his material focuses on a man, who while accepting his past and acknowledges the present, while remaining hopeful for the future — and as a result, it’s pragmatic yet upbeat.

For these photos and more, check out the Flickr set here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsm9X1v37