Ex Hex at Oslo Hackney

Ex Hex
Princess
Oslo Hackney, 10 February 2015

A few years ago I saw Wild Flag, Mary Timony and Carrie Brownstein's all-too brief collaboration, live and felt myself reverting to a teenage girl, it was so great to see women rocking out, looking and sounding so cool. Although the band only lasted for one album I think it was something of a revelation for Timony, who finally, after years of making weird, angular and interesting alternative rock in bands such as Autoclave, Helium and solo - with medieval sounds, prog rock and folk as much an influence as punk - found the fun in making short, poppy punk tunes. Ex Hex is even the name of one of her solo albums but this time round she has her own all-girl band to share the experience (namely bassist Betsy Wright and drummer Laura Harris). It seems she didn't want the Wild Flag experience to end and so created her own equally brilliant band, making the best album of 2014 with Rips.

A lot of people seem to be surprised that Timony, who is now in her mid-40s, has not only managed to reinvent her music in such a new and fun way, but that it sounds so fresh and exciting after nearly 25 years in the business. For me it's no surprise at all, I always knew Timony was awesome, but it is hugely refreshing to see the band embraced by the likes of NME: younger publications who are usually suspicious of anything not borne out of their generation. I really can't think of any band that seems as cool as Ex Hex though and again, like back at that Wild Flag show in 2012, I feel myself becoming a 16-year-old fangirl who adored Courtney Love and L7 and Juliana Hatfield, and I'm thrilled when I see Timony, Wright and Harris arrive on stage looking like the ultimate girl gang I would have done anything to join, and, let's be honest here, still would.

Timony has always been special to me and I can't deny that even back when I saw Wild Flag I was more excited to see her in the flesh than even the Sleater-Kinney girls. Her first two solo albums in particular were big favourites of mine and meant a lot to me at the time and there's always been something endearingly awkward and sweet about her. Tonight she looks particularly amazing, wearing a short sequined mini dress, red tights and baseball boots. It's both girly but tomboyish, glamorous but totally rock n' roll - everything I'd love to be in fact.

Her bandmates look equally amazing: Wright is wearing sparkly shorts, a sleeveless leather biker jacket and Doc Martens (she looks like a cross between Madonna and Joan Jett in the best possible way) while Harris is also badass in a skull tee and jeans. Ex Hex actually make me fear my 40s less because they seem so beautiful and cool. Of course it's not just about looks and attitude, Ex Hex sound incredible too and get things off with a bang, playing the power-pop meets the Runaways blast of Don't Wanna Lose. There's no doubt that this is music that wouldn't be out of place during the New Wave era and Timony has even said that she wanted it to sound like it could have been on the radio in 1982, which makes complete sense: these are songs that could have been hits back then but at the same time sound utterly fresh and contemporary.

My friend did wonder how they were going to fill out an entire show: they have only one album under their belt and that's only just over thirty minutes but like the accomplished rockers that they are, that of course was no problem as they added feedback, extended jams and even drum and bass solos (honestly not boring at all) to make it all a unique, thrilling experience. It was particuarly exhilarating to watch Timony stalking the stage, Wright snarling like Elvis with one foot on the amp and then the pair playing while facing each other grinning, holding their guitars up and Wright falling to her knees while Timony soloed above her, doing their best Bowie/ Mick Ronson impression.

I've heard people said that Timony's stage presence doesn't live up to the attitude-filled swagger of the songs on the record but I love Mary's slight awkwardness: it feels way more real and relatable to me. Plus anyone who plays guitar as well as she does is pretty much immune from such silly criticisms because the minute she starts soloing, no attitude or aura of self-confidence can touch that cool.

I'm pretty sure every song on the album was played (including a pretty awesome extended Beast) and I wondered if they would leave the audience wanting more and do the punk rock thing of giving no excore but they quickly returned to the cheering crowd and had a conversation on stage about what song to perform, as if they weren't expecting the enthusiastic reception. "You know who Johnny

Thunders is, right?" Timony asks the audience in an uncertain voice. Of course we do. Relieved, she and the band launch into a really fantastic rip-roaring version of You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory. Mary Timony, please let me be in your gang. What an absolute blast of a show.

Supporting tonight was an unfortunately named but actually surprisingly great Irish noise-pop band called Princess. The band is really a duo made up of Aoife Frances and Liam Mesbur but live they have a full band helping fill out their obviously 90s-inspired mix of shoegaze, Krautrock and, of course, lots of feedback. We were particularly taken with the bassist's fetching poncho and overall they looked as cool as their noisy post-punk sounds. Will definitely be listening to their full-length debut when it comes out later this year.