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Review: Hellogoodbye, Thekla – ‘A synth-driven set ahead of 20th anniversary’
We were back at Thekla for another night of American indie pop rock, this time with Vinnie Caruana and Hellogoodbye supporting Armor for Sleep.
The band, formed in California in the early 2000s by singer Forrest Kline, have been around for more than 20 years now.
Hellogoodbye were in full swing at Thekla on Sunday
Their sound has shifted over time but still sits somewhere between indie pop, synth and power pop, with a dash of pop-punk and emo for good measure.
is needed now More than ever
I once read someone describe them as a cross between the Beach Boys and Relient K, and I could definitely hear that.
Forrest Kline was on keyboard, synth and vocals
The instrumentation leaned heavily on synths and keyboards, alongside guitars, drums and electronic backbeats.
As someone who grew up in the 2000s, those synth chords felt nostalgic, almost like Nintendo tracks, and the auto-tuned vocals brought back memories of when Adventure Time’s Finn ate a computer.
Hellogoodbye danced around the stage with their instruments
The band were fun, confident and tight on stage. Forrest Kline in particular stood out: dancing around, engaging with the crowd and clearly enjoying himself.
Their 40-minute set flew by, full of catchy melodies and lighthearted banter that kept the energy up.
Hellogoodbye’s debut album Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! turns 20 next year
The band closed with a short recorded quote from Tim Robinson’s I Think You Should Leave: “I gotta figure out how to make money on this thing, it’s simply too good.”
The recording came and went so quickly but, as a fan of the comedy show, it is easy to recognise the Driving Crooner when you hear them.
Hellogoodbye’s debut album Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! turns 20 next year and the band will be back in Bristol to mark the occasion.
Judging by this show, that’s going to be one worth catching.
All photos: Isobel Higley
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