Kelsey Heng on July 25th, 2013

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When U.K. quartet Savages visited the El Rey Theatre on Tuesday night for the first of two sold-out shows, it created the perfect storm of mood and energy. The foursome’s hour-long set, mostly from the band’s debut album “Silence Yourself,” was an intensely physical display, with lead singer Jehnny Beth imposing her will on the audience the entire show, stalking the stage and gesturing to the crowd in an overtly masculine all black outfit contrasted against her bright red heels. Through masterful manipulations of hum and feedback, solemn-faced guitarist Gemma Thompson stole the show on “Shut Up,” a track that sums up the bands ability to create a surreal atmosphere out of unorthodox guitar sounds and riffs. The band as a whole operates as a singular unit, feeding off the crowd’s enthusiasm; on Tuesday, it was enthusiasm that drove the crowd into a moshing fit. The bass-thumping solo act Johnny Hostile, the producer who co-founded Pop Noire Records with Jehnny Beth and who joined Savages on stage for the last number, opened the night.

Photos by Kelsey Heng, recap by Spencer Piron