The Orielles, ICA London *****

In the Round, In Their Element: The Orielles reimagine themselves at the ICA

The Orielles transformed material from their latest album “Only You Left” into an immersive study in mood, movement, and evolution at The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA).

There are bands who play live, and then there are bands who seem to reimagine themselves each time they step onto a stage. The Orielles belong firmly to the latter. The Manchester‑based trio of Esmé Dee Hand‑Halford, Henry Carlyle Wade, and Sidonie B Hand‑Halford have long carved out their own kaleidoscopic corner of the UK scene, blending indie rock, dance‑leaning grooves, cosmic post‑rock textures and a restless experimental streak. Their live shows have a playful elasticity: songs stretch, mutate, dissolve into dreamlike passages or snap back into dance floor rhythms.

Friday night’s performance at the ICA felt like another leap forward in their evolution. Staged in the round, with the audience surrounding the band on all sides, the room carried an intimacy that was palpable even before the first note. Though the trio inevitably had their backs to parts of the crowd at any given moment, the layout somehow dissolved distance rather than creating it. That configuration they later revealed mirrored the way they rehearsed the album in Salford. It felt less like watching a band and more like being invited into the centre of their creative orbit.

This show was the third time I’ve seen them perform material from their latest album “Only You Left”, and each iteration has revealed a different facet. The Resident Records instore launch offered a hushed, stripped‑back “wood version”; The Great Escape brought a louder, faster, “metal version” intensity. Whilst at the ICA, the songs unfurled into something far more expansive and atmospheric, with structures stretched, moods deepened, and the dance element dialled up dramatically.

The set began in a drifting, otherworldly haze, with “Wasp” and “Embers” merging into a single, shifting current. From the opening moments, the room was fully theirs. The crowd was soon moving and dancing on all sides of the stage.

Much of that tempo came from Sidonie’s drumming, which was nothing short of inspired. Her use of cymbals, soft mallets, and dual‑stick techniques shaped the emotional contour of each piece, guiding the band through subtle shifts in tone and pace.

Above this, Esmé’s vocals shone with remarkable range. In the opening numbers a jaw‑dropping echo filled the room, while later a seductive whisper was accompanied only by her bass. She never needed to force anything; her voice held the room through sheer presence, as her melodic bass lines underpinned the entire set with quiet authority.

In contrast, Henry brought a dynamic energy that electrified the space. His guitar and keys added movement, propulsion, and a danceable edge, his physicality a counterpoint to Esmé’s calm focus. Their interplay, serene centre versus restless orbit, gave the performance a dynamic tension that was thrilling to watch.

The mid‑set shift into quieter territory, with “You Are Eating a Part of Yourself” and “Wherever (I May Not Feel So Close)”, offered a moment of hushed beauty before “Three Halves” reignited the tempo. Almost the entire set drew from “Only You Left”, but “Beam/s” from “Tableau” stood out as a reminder of the band’s experimental roots and ongoing evolution.

Henry joked that they couldn’t play an encore because they wouldn’t be able to get back on stage. The frenzied close of “To Undo the World Itself”, with the change in style of Esme’s bass more than matching the tempo of Henry’s guitar and Sidonie’s drums was the perfect way to close a remarkable set.

The Orielle’s transformative performance was very special indeed and showed why they are one of the country’s most inventive young bands. Judging by the crowd’s reaction throughout, most, if not all, at the ICA would have agreed.

Peter Greenfield, June 2026