Allah-Las Matches the Heatwave at Hackney's MOTH Club

Photo by Tony Accosta

On Sunday, Californian rockers Allah-Las brought their hypnotic psych-rock to Hackney’s MOTH Club. With its low, glitzy ceilings, old-school interior, and the backdrop of a shimmering gold foil curtain, the iconic venue was the perfect place to host the psychedelic 60s-sounding rhythms of Allah-Las. 

This gig marked the start of a three-day stint in London, after which the band will embark on their first European tour in three years. This tour serves as a sort of inter-album adventure, falling nearly three years after the release of the band’s last album but just before their next one. Set to be titled Ultramarine, Allah-Las’ sixth album seems to be right around the corner, but, in their true mysterious fashion, is yet to be given an official release date.

For their first night at MOTH Club, Allah-Las kicked off their set with ‘The Stuff’, a track from their most recent album, Zuma 85. This track eased listeners into the set, with vocalist Miles Michaud coolly delivering vocals over a rich, electronic backing. Throughout the show, Michaud’s stage presence was captivating. His vocals were pitch-perfect, and he sang with the sort of effortless drama that Californian frontmen do best.

With the show coincidentally falling on the day of the summer solstice, tracks from their 2014 album, Worship the Sun, were a must-add to the setlist. ‘Artifact’ was one of the tracks selected. With the sun-soaked sounds, sweaty swaying crowd, and the orange glow of MOTH Club’s vintage lamplight, the gig felt like a sort of solstice ritual in itself. 

The gig also fell during a heatwave, with temperatures soaring higher than 30°C. The venue was swelteringly hot, leading to a couple of timely-named ‘hydration breaks’. “I’m slippery like an eel. A jellied eel,” laughed guitarist Pedrum Siadatian. Miles Michaud even opted to sing with a towel draped on his head during a couple of the songs. Whatever works, I suppose? Ironically, this blistering heat perfectly matched the tropical energy of Allah-Las’ music, so nobody seemed to mind too much. The crowd still eagerly danced along, turning the dancefloor into a glistening, swaying blur. 

‘Sacred Sands’, a track from their self-titled debut, was a fan favourite. This instrumental interlude gave centre stage to the immense talents of each musician. A punchy bassline underlined jangly guitar riffs to produce the sweet, surf club sound that Allah-Las are known for. 

The band have been playing together since 2008, so they run a tight ship. After 18 years together, they lock in so tightly that not a note goes unaccounted for. This casual perfection is what made the concert so impressive. Their music might be easy listening, but it’s technically brilliant. 

Allah-Las continued their set with ‘In the Air’, an upbeat track from their 2019 album LAHS. They then played ‘Jelly’, a gentle and steady track from 2023’s Zuma 85, before moving on to ‘Brittany Glasz’, a 2017 single that’s reminiscent of The Beach Boys. 

The setlist itself was excellent. Featuring greatest hits, lesser-known favourites, and newer tracks, it catered to fans new and old. Allah-Las even treated fans to a performance of ‘Ultramarine’, a new track from their upcoming album of the same name. 

‘Ultramarine’ sees the band step away from the bouncy guitar melodies of Zuma 85, and instead enter a more psychedelic, synth-heavy territory. Although they might’ve spent the last 18 years perfecting their surf-rock sound, Allah-Las have certainly never been scared of experimenting with their music. If other songs on Ultramarine are as daring as its title track, it could be Allah-Las’ most exploratory project yet.

The band closed the show with their best-loved track ‘Catamaran’ from their self-titled debut. This last track had the audience singing and swaying along right until the last drumbeat, after which the whole room erupted into cheers and applause. 

Allah-Las’ first night at MOTH Club was definitely one to remember. Is there a better way to spend the summer solstice than basking in their sun-soaked Californian melodies? We don’t think so.  After this London stint, their European tour will take them to Lille, Zurich, and more, before they return to US stages in late July. This summer adventure seems like the perfect way to let off steam between albums, and we can only hope that the next time Allah-Las grace London’s stages, there’ll be even more incredible songs added to the mix.