After a near 20-year hiatus, Duster returned seemingly from nowhere in the late 2010s as newly proclaimed cult heroes. The relatively obscure Californian band who were active between 1996 and 2001 and blended indie, slowcore, and space rock, had struck a nerve with a new generation, racking up hundreds of millions of Spotify and TikTok plays and subject to articles crediting them as a band who “changed indie rock”. They are so in demand that the venue for tonight’s sold-out show had to be upgraded.
When the duo of Clay Parton and Canaan Dove Amber – bumped up to a four-piece band for live shows – step out on to the stage they are greeted with rabid enthusiasm from a notably young audience, even when just tuning up. When they begin the hypnotic strums of The Twins/Romantica, followed by the piercing hiss and dense fuzz of Orbitron, they quickly lock into a mood for the evening that feels equal parts subtle beauty and shattering devastation.
