Concert Video: SPECTRES in Los Angeles

Recorded just before the band had to cancel their tour due to the coronavirus. Modern post-punk at its best.

Among the many effects of the coronavirus pandemic is the impact on musicians. Case in point: Vancouver’s SPECTRES had to cut short their tour in support of their excellent new album, Nostalgia. Fortunately, however, Daniel Kirby recorded this stellar Los Angeles performance that happened right before the band cancelled their tour.

Earlier this week, I sang the praises of Nostalgia on Twitter alongside the latest albums from Topographies and labelmates The Foreign Resort. Put simply, if you’re looking for post-punk that perfectly evokes the classic sounds of bands like Joy Division, The Cure, and New Order without ever once sounding like a slavish copycat act, then Nostalgia is the album for you. And as this video proves, the album’s songs are killer live, too.

On a related note, it looks like it’ll be a while before SPECTRES and other bands will be able to safely take their music on the road and perform for audiences. Given that many indie bands like SPECTRES rely on touring and merch sales to survive, now would be a good time to buy some music instead of just stream it.

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