There’s not much to keep us going at the moment, is there? Other than a measly two extra minutes of sunlight each morning and afternoon. It feels almost like self-inflicted torture to muse over the forthcoming festival season for too long – but last night at Chalk Farm’s Roundhouse, Joy Anonymous enforced serotonin on its approximately 3,000 guests, blasting them with good vibes after good vibes.
You’d be forgiven for not having heard about this dance duo yet – the South London-based, Fred Again..-endorsed pair have been gradually gathering traction over the last year, with a date at Dalston’s EartH last May, appearances at Connect and Lost Village festival, and a second album that was met with warm reviews last November (Fred Again.. was also present at this gig, pint in hand).
That’s a quick overview, but for longtime fans of the duo – real names Henry Counsell and Louis Curran – it’s a disservice. To them, Joy Anonymous is so much more than that.
The pair first gained attention after setting up free, impromptu raves on South Bank during peak lockdown, to entertain commuting key workers and other Londoners on their daily mandated walks. They held over 100 “meetings” (in keeping with the “Anonymous” theme i.e Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous), attracting as many as 300 people at one time.
This special kind of breakthrough formed a sense of community among Joy Anonymous’ fans: many are part of a collective WhatsApp group where Counsell and Curran inform them of surprise gigs or low-key after parties following their shows. The overall ethos is exactly what it says on the tin: shared emotion, connection, joy.
The Roundhouse was no different. Glum faces that entered the venue amongst drizzle and darkness last night emerged red and shiny after a very lightweight set of pure, euphoria based hits. For any fans of heavier electronic music, it was not what they would have wanted. There was a distinct absence of depth in favour of sheer, unadulterated joy.
Sadly, those looking for Joy Anonymous’s edgier club hits would have been disappointed. Their remix of Sugababes’ Push The Button was nowhere to be seen, and heavier tracks such as JOY (404) were lost in the midst of sunshine and rainbows. Remixes were played, including the Spotify top 5-assured take on Jungle’s Back on 74. One of the three encore tunes was their take on God Only Knows by The Beach Boys, so euphoric it’s practically impossible to not enjoy.
The overall setup was that of a DJ duo with added live vocals from one half of the pairing. This made for a bespoke experience, though unfortunately drowned out many of the duo’s key dance hits. But crowdpleasers are crowdpleasers, and tracks such as Head To The Sky and Human Again did provide.
It was a slap in the face of serotonin that glossed over darkness, whether or not the audience wanted a bit of that. But it really is hard to hate that much joy; the clue’s in the name.
