Courting reshape Sebright Arms into their own glorious chaos for Dork 100

Now, we’ve been saying how scorching our Dork 100 shows are but we’ll be honest – we didn’t think it would mean this. As the sun bakes London, the Sebright Arms is a melting pot primed for the sort of pop nonsense we’ve loved since Day 1. Sweaty nights in famous basements where your next favourite band is born have become our second home, and tonight is no different. In both Courting and Balancing Act you have artists who have gone on to play much bigger stages than this, making tonight extra special. Don’t say we don’t treat ya.

There’s an assured confidence when Balancing Act take to the stage. A band with boundless ambition makes tonight a glimpse at a force unafraid to aim high. They’re doing so in ways that make each move unpredictable. Lead singer Kai Roberts has frontman DNA flowing through his veins as he captivates and flings Sebright Arms in every direction – across a set that shapeshifts masterfully. There’s the widescreen ‘Before I Shoot’, the shuffling grooves of ‘Cheshire Smile’ and the soul-soaked tones of new single ‘Had Another Mare’ that span styles yet feel connected – swooning like The Last Shadow Puppets and crunching like The Strokes. They exude the sort of effortlessly cool energy that makes you want to follow wherever they head next, and Sebright Arms is firmly in their grasp. ‘She Plays The Theremin’ may be their most confident indie anthem to date, born for bouncing bodies (which they convert tonight) and the majestic ‘All Yours’ closes a set that thrives with hunger. Don’t try to predict what they do next, but we can guarantee it’s gunning for the top.

There are some gigs that just stick with you. Tonight, as Courting rip through ‘Guitar Music’, is one of those nights. It’s when band and audience merge to make a moment truly special, and from the opening refrains of ‘Cosplay / Twin Cities’, it hits how influential and vital Courting have become. Their constant evolution and push for flipping every preconception makes tonight special. And when the fuse is lit, it’s unstoppable. Even with the heat rising, Sebright Arms moves as one – opening moshpits and shaking the floor with the sort of pandemonium that defines the best nights. Following the tracklisting for ‘Guitar Music’ means a ridiculous run of ‘Tennis’, ‘Loaded’ and ‘Famous’ continues the chaos, sung back in full voice with guitar riffs bellowed like national anthems. Courting have always thrived in defying expectation, seeing plaudits come thick and fast, and tonight shows why. It’s fun, interesting and uncompromising – few bands can claim all three and inspire a response where more sweat remains in the venue than energy by the night’s end.

‘Crass (Redux)’ meshes with Icona Pop’s ‘I Love It’ and ‘Jumper’ has the room bouncing as one, yet it’s the scope of ‘Uncanny Valley Forever’ that provides the evening’s moment of clarity about what ‘Guitar Music’ achieves. Their debut album established Courting as risk-takers with purpose, seeking something greater. While its title suggests convention, every move across the record reinvents that very term – creating something distinctly their own. The cried-out crescendo draws arms skyward and as ‘PDA’ closes ‘Guitar Music’, that sonic template carries Courting through their career highlights. From early tracks like ‘Grand National’, ‘Popshop’ and ‘Football’ to fierce cuts from ‘Lust for life…’ including ‘Pause At You’, ‘Namcy’ and ‘After You’ – the night affirms everything special about Courting. Celebrating their origins and their evolution into a unique live force, Sebright Arms may never feel quite this electric again.