This was without a doubt an ‘experience’. Be warned that before you head to a Whyte Horses Experience you need to completely free your mind of the ordinary, because this is a musical journey that you probably won’t have faced very often before. The Manchester based collective who are a piece of pure psychedelia, really made us time-travel back to the ’60s.
On entry to the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall we were immediately met by various video-clips playing on the huge screens on the venue’s stage. Each piece of footage took us on a variety of journeys. One minute we were watching cartoons, then these were inter-cut with interviews of factory workers in the 1960s plus some psychedelic imagery for good measure.
As the collective walked on stage, you realised just how big this outfit is, with 15 musicians (made up for some members from The Go! Team) comprising the instrumental section of this band alone and an additional two lead female vocalists and guests, completing the band’s formation. Initially it did make you question whether there might be just too much going on for one gig, but that all appeared to be part of making this such a unique experience. If, however, like me you were heading to your first ever Whyte Horses Experience, then you’d be forgiven for taking a bit of time to settle into the rhythm of the gig. With so many elements making up the show, including a fantastic costumed bard character reciting poetry at the end of songs at various intervals during the gig, there was a great deal happening and you really had to stay focussed to appreciate the music.
However, guest vocalists including La Roux, Melanie Pain and Gruff Rhys really lifted the performances and brought a more modern element to the psychedelia. The instrumentalists were excellent, playing a variety of songs that immersed us into that era. You could see that every singer was absolutely invested and passionate about this idea of musical collaboration and they each brought a very different musical journey to the audience. Melanie Pain gave us performances in both English and French whilst La Roux really showed off her vocal prominence. Other contributors on the night included the St. Barts Children’s Choir, who all wore Shakespearian inspired masks, to create their own fantastical experience, but even though we weren’t able to see their faces, they sang their part without a hitch.
Perhaps a more intimate venue would have made the experience feel even more everlasting, but the band and their guests were given a standing ovation at the end of the night, so hardcore fans had an absolutely fantastic time.
This is a show everyone should see absolutely at least once. If you’re looking for a genuine psychedelic musical event then The Whyte Horses Experience is definitely that. I don’t think anyone could do it better, but I would recommend getting acquainted with the band’s ideology and background before heading to the gig, just so that you can fully immerse yourself into their world.
