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Live Review: King Hannah at The Moroccan Lounge in Los Angeles

Material: King Hannah is an indie-alternative pop group playing mood music. The music is depressive and dark and it provokes an eeriness that sends chills down your spine. The opener, “A Well Made Woman,” brought out a creepy, Radiohead meets “Dazed and Confused” (Zeppelin) vibe, filling the Moroccan Lounge with disturbing and distressing sounds as the vocals added another dimension to the unsettling mood. “State Trooper” (as with most of the other tunes) remained in the eerie format, but halfway through, the song was pushing the bluesy boundary, which made for a welcomed change. 

Musicianship: The King Hannah band members were not there to show off their musical skills. They were there to set a mood and maintain the mood. There was a “togetherness” about the band that kept things musically balanced throughout the set. “The Moods That I Get In” was the strongest song of the set, which included a rock breakthrough after featuring the normal distressing menu of sounds. Rock and blues oozed out of all the musicians as the song came to an impressive crescendo that left the audience in awe.  

Performance: Gorman was really into the music. Extremely animated and almost angry, he danced and headbanged throughout most of the set. The rest of the band maintained their composure and kept to the eccentric mood setting. They made minimal interaction with the audience as the somber mood was established from the beginning and was the main fare throughout the whole show.

Summary: Different types of music exuded from King Hannah. Bluesy at times, hard rock at others, they mostly kept on with the eerie motif for most of the set. If you like eerie, mood setting, depressive music, King Hannah will take your hand and lead you to places that your heart has never dreamed of—then leave you there and stroll off, happy as a bird.

Web: kinghannah.com

Contact: [email protected]

Players: Hannah Merrick, vocals, guitar; Craig Whittle, guitar; Olly Gorman, bass; Liipiec, drums

Photo by Pierce Brochetti