Live – Benefits | Polite Bureaux at The Hope & Ruin

Benefits & Polite Bureaux at The Hope & Ruin, Brighton, 23rd October 2024

Another night of great music in Brighton as Benefits transformed The Hope & Ruin into an immersive sound and light experience not for the faint hearted. Experimental? Industrial? Political? Poetic? All of the above to be fair, noise levels rising as the lighting dipped between neon and darkness. An impressive bank of keyboards and pedals, and an understated violin that brought the spirit of the Bad Seeds before the following tracks took us into Faithless territory with an exasperated vocal putting the world to rights, the crowd eager to join in with yelling ‘Shit Britain‘ into the night. Latest single Land of the Tyrants offers an insight into the band’s newer work, the same protagonism with a subtler feel, all the better to get inside your head and stay there. Despite the intensity of the music and its delivery, there’s a poignancy about a Benefits performance, lots to think about, lots to talk about, no question that something very special just happened.

You know when a band gets their support act just right? So, that happened too. Polite Bureaux already have a strong local following and the opportunity to impress a chunk of the crowd new to them was not wasted. Their live shows still have that serrated edge that is intrinsic to their sound, but there’s no denying that the set-up is becoming a well-oiled machine that spits out quality every time. Love to see this band doing so well and sticking to their own terms in the process.

A captivating night, and kudos for the pre-set playlist, an incongruous fit including the likes of Inner City and Fiction Factory that somehow warmed things up perfectly.

Hosted by Love Thy Neighbour

Polite Bureaux

Benefits

Benefits pending UK dates:
24th Oct – Where Else? Margate
25th Oct – The George Tavern, London
26th Oct – Le Pub, Newport
27th Oct – The Grove, Newcastle Upon Tyne