In Crooked Wonderment - The Flapper Review: A band made for escapism

22 May

“This is what happens when theatre kids do rock.”

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

In Crooked Wonderment is a gothic-folk band hailing from Birmingham. Suited and booted, and masked in dark makeup, they took to the stage at Birmingham’s The Flapper. As part of a wider unsigned evening for upcoming artists, they performed like the headline slot was within their eyeline.

The band is comprised of Conor Price, Zach Bethell, Amelia Banks and Ashley Bernstone. In the absence of other bandmates, Tom Hewitt made an appearance on drums. The 25-year-old from Staffordshire has been making waves on the Birmingham music scene in his own right, recently receiving BBC Introducing airtime. “We’ve thrown him in the deep end with two rehearsals”, smiled the Conor, in reality, you wouldn’t have noticed.

Pulsing through a variety of self-released tracks from King, which had an extended version this year, the trio turned a basement into a chilling dungeon. Their music is certainly distinctive, blending the likes of Palaye Royale and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Equally, their combined theatrical nature didn’t go unnoticed, something the band joked about: “This is what happens when you let theatre kids do rock”.

A highlight came with an unexpected tribute to Palaye Royale with Dying In A Hot Tub. It’s a tune we’ve not heard in a while and fell in love with it all over again for different reasons. The band put on a spooky and raw version, and we loved it.

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In Crooked Wonderment are made for escapism, and they may have you slipping into their world very soon. Previously frontman Conor has explained:

“Escapism in music is something I’m deeply in love with. In the harsh and unforgiving battleground that is day to day life in an ever-changing world people seek a way to escape and forget the dramas for a while.”

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