ctrl18 [LIVE] Opus Kink

On October 3, the second night of Control’s 18th anniversary, Opus Kink join the lineup with a live show that has taken them from grassroots venues across the UK and Europe to Serbian abattoirs, Istanbul stadium complexes and impromptu gigs on industrial estates.

Formed in Brighton in 2017, the six-piece has developed a sound that resists a neat definition: jazz- and country-laced punk, carried by a formidable horn section and Angus Rogers’ ragged, sardonic delivery. Their music bears traces of post-punk and no wave acts such as The Pop Group, The Birthday Party and Lounge Lizards, while drawing from folk, Latin music and Weimar cabaret.

Opus Kink’s concerts have earned a cult reputation for their unpredictability, matched by songs that approach violence, anxiety and emptiness with a dark, absurdist wit. Their loyalty to independent venues and the communities surrounding them has remained central throughout years of touring.

Following two EPs - ’Til The Stream Runs Dry and My Eyes, Brother! - and a series of singles, the band recorded their debut album, The Sweet Goodbye, with Grammy-winning producer Craig Silvey. Vintage drum machines and a sharper production brought a new shape to their unruly sound, christened by the band, depending on the day, “witch disco” or “chainsaw pop.”