Wet Leg brought their newly muscular, stadium-ready indie rock to a sold-out Telegraph Building in Belfast, but it was the support act, Faux Real, who ensured the night began with maximum confusion and visual intrigue.
The French/American art-pop duo (and brothers) Elliot and Virgile Arndt are, to put it mildly, an experience. Dressed in perfectly coordinated white outfits, they offered something completely antithetical to a traditional indie rock warm-up. Their set was less about instrumental virtuosity and more about immaculate, angular, and often bizarre choreography, set to dance-based backing tracks encompassing everything from heavy house to commercial pop.
The duo moved in flawless, synchronized unison, their movements part performance art, part aerobics, and part high-fashion cult ritual. Whether they were posing with their padlocked-shaped guitars or using light sources to create dramatic shadow play, Faux Real commanded the stage with relentless energy and unsettling sincerity. For many in the crowd, they were definitely an acquired taste, sparking immediate debates about whether they were lip-syncing or genuinely performing. However, the sheer spectacle and commitment to their unique, deadpan aesthetic made their performance unforgettable, a quirky and oddly enchanting palate cleanser before the main event.
The stage was soon set with the band’s now signature smoke filled, strobe lit stage, and when Rhian Teasdale, Hester Chambers, and their expanded band arrived, the energy in the room went from curious to explosive. The five-piece Wet Leg now touring extensively behind their second album, moisturizer opened with the confrontational, self-assured blast of “catch these fists.”
This new iteration of Wet Leg is less lo-fi indie and more fully formed rock band. The presence of bassist Ellis Durand, drummer Henry Holmes, and guitarist Josh Mobaraki gives the music a phenomenal, driving weight. Henry Holmes, in particular, delivers a foundational rhythmic muscle, transforming some of the earlier, gentler tracks into grunge-infused anthems.
Rhian Teasdale, dressed in her new aesthetic, has fully embraced the frontwoman role. She prowled, posed, and commanded the spotlight, providing the raunchy, self-confident energy the new tracks demand. Hester Chambers, meanwhile, preferred to hang back in the shadows, letting her playful lead guitar lines and harmonies dart out from the darkness, a contrast that perfectly embodies the band’s duality.
The setlist was a near-perfect mix of their two albums. Fan favourites like “Wet Dream” and “Oh No” sparked huge singalongs, but the new material, such as the infectious “davina mccall” and the surging “liquidize,” was met with equal fervor. The crowd roared in approval for the classic, swirling intro of “Too Late Now.”
The high point of the night, as always, came during “Ur Mum.” Following the song’s build-up, Teasdale cut the music entirely, conducting the crowd for the mandatory “longest and loudest scream.” The resulting minute of unhinged, cathartic noise was deafening, ridiculous, and utterly joyous.
Wet Leg closed the show with a crushing combination of their biggest songs, including the furious “CPR” and the classic, quotable closer, “Chaise Longue.” They left the stage after a powerful, high-impact set that proved they have successfully navigated the hype and emerged as a genuinely formidable and endlessly fun live act.
Faux Real photos:
Wet Leg photos & set-list:
Set-list:
catch these fists
Wet Dream
Oh No
Supermarket
liquidize
jennifer’s body
Being in Love
pond song
Ur Mum
u and me at home
don’t speak
davina mccall
11:21
pillow talk
Too Late Now
Angelica
Chaise Longue
CPR
mangetout
Photos & Words – David McEneaney @experimentzero