HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF @ METRONOME, NOTTS 15.08.24
‘Hurray for the Riff Raff’ delivered a captivating performance at Metronome, Nottingham, showcasing their genre-defying blend of Americana, folk, and indie rock. Frontperson Alynda Segarra’s powerful, soulful voice was the highlight of the evening, weaving tales of resilience, identity, and social justice around heartfelt songs of love and loss that resonated deeply with the rapt audience.
The band’s tight instrumentation, coupled with their magnetic stage presence, created an intimate yet electrifying atmosphere, bolstered by the fantastic sound system at Metronome. The band played their latest album, ‘The Past is Still Alive,’ in its entirety, seamlessly blending in fan favorites from previous albums.
It was a night of raw emotion and musical virtuosity, particularly displayed on the mighty ‘The World is Dangerous,’ where guitarist Sam Doores was truly allowed to showcase his chops. Taking a quiet, introspective album and converting it into this rollicking live experience is no mean feat. The raw emotion of the songs was further highlighted by the encore, ‘Pa’lante,’ in which Alynda, after an initial damning rant about the current state of the world, led the crowd in an outsider’s anthem, ending in cries of “Pa’lante!”—a Spanish slang phrase meaning “to move straight ahead” or “go for it,” often used as a cultural call to action.
“To all who had to hide, I say, ¡Pa'lante!
To all who lost their pride, I say, ¡Pa'lante!
To all who had to survive, I say, ¡Pa'lante!
To my brothers and my sisters, I say, ¡Pa'lante!
¡Pa'lante!
¡Pa'lante!
To all who came before, we say, ¡Pa'lante!”
A wonderful gig that affirmed ‘Hurray for the Riff Raff’ as a vital voice in contemporary music. Pa’lante indeed!
Support came from Nottingham’s Katie Keddie, who delivered a beautiful acoustic set. Watch this space for a more detailed feature on Katie!
