Last month, Summer Camp released their self-titled album and are now on a British and European tour. They are an electro-pop group inspired by disco beats and 80s synth, providing unusual and nostalgic sounds.

Fryars supported the group with a slick and professional set. The sound was luxurious, a testament both to the venue and the technical expertise of the group. The group performed songs from their recently released EP Radio Pwr and their live renditions were impressively close to the original recorded versions.The performance of ‘Cool Like Me’ was the highlight of the set, one of their most popular songs that reveals a new type of pop music. The guitarist performed consistently throughout the set and added extra licks in the latter song, giving an acoustic edge to the heavily technical sound. 

Summer Camp kicked off their set with a solid combination of a heavy beat and synth. The stage had a light glow as it was lit up by fairy lights and in the background a screen projected dance scenes from various films and television shows, from Flashdance to My So-Called Life.  The clips continued throughout the set, adding to the youthful and nostalgic feel of their music. 

Indeed, ‘Fresh’ and ‘Keep Falling’ both have distinct influences from funk and disco, with catchy choruses and strong percussion leading the songs. Elizabeth Sankey and Jeremy Warmsley occasionally sing together, instead of Warmsley just providing the backing vocals. ‘Better Off Without You’ is a cheerful, sunny duet that brings to mind some of the Scissor Sisters’ work. 

Despite the promising start, the set became ropey after they sang a saccharine pop song with a feeble beat, with the majority of the vocals comprising a cringe-worthy rap. Think less Jessie J, more the beginning of a B*Witched song.  The group continued with some more rock numbers but the sound, particularly the vocals, is shouty and aggressive. Their last song has a decent pop melody but the lyrics are distractingly cliché.

Overall, Summer Camp is an accomplished band. Married couple Sankey and Warmsley are talented artists. However, the rock numbers fall short of their catchier, disco-electro tunes. The set was entertaining at the start, but became tiresome towards the end.  Fryars’ set was the superior performance of the night.