It’s a stormy night in North London. The venue is small, packed and hot. The young crowd gazes adoringly at four musicians who seem new, old and otherworldly all at once.
There’s glam there but also gothic atmosphere, doomy weight and punk aggression. It’s Ritchie Blackmore with a pop heart. Siouxsie &The Banshees with bigger guitars. Kate Bush with a lascivious hint of Rocky Horror.
At the centre stands singer/guitarist Kimi Shelter, wire-thin in black spandex, all spidery hand gestures and biting chops, a giant black cloud of hair on her head.
Something becomes clear. Starbenders aren’t just a glam rock band: they’re much weirder than that.
“We’re a rock’n’roll band with all these split-offs,” Shelter reasons, “there’s so much goth influence, metal, punk, glam, and we’ve pretty much been underground the whole time.”
Formed in 2013 but solidified in late 2017 – with the arrival of drummer Emily Moon and guitarist Kriss Tokaji – Starbenders marry the aura of a subterranean gang with the skill and songcraft of pop heavyweights.
