Wet Leg must surely be the biggest ‘they came out of nowhere’ sensations to hit indie-pop when they began to make inroads on the listening public in late 2021. I reckon you have to go back to Arctic Monkeys in 2005 to get something quite as impactful.
The common factor for both acts is Domino Records, so there’s clearly a lot of very smart and sassy folk working for that label who know exactly how to tap into the zeitgeist.
I’ve really enjoyed all the music that’s been made thus far by Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, along with Henry Holmes, Josh Mobaraki and Ellis Durand, the three musicians who are part of the touring band. The debut single was as catchy as it gets:-
mp3: Wet Leg – Chaise Longue
The next handful of singles, as well as their self-titled debut album, proved to be every bit as enjoyable and turned into one of the really feel-good stories about new music during 2022. The way they just continued to grow in popularity seemed to catch just about everyone out. They were booked for an early afternoon set on one of the smaller outdoor stages at Glastonbury, and ended up attracting a crowd that was on a par with many of the longer-established headliners, leading to a number of concerns about crowd control and safety.
The biggest male pop star on the planet, Harry Stiles, declared himself a huge fan, and they ended up accepting his invitation to be the main support act on his tour of Australia and New Zealand. They were nominated for numerous Brit Awards and Grammys, the latter being proof that they weren’t just a UK phenomena. The fact they picked up two awards at each ceremony in early 2023 was something nobody would have predicted some 12 months previous, when they were still very much a word-of-mouth act.
There’s been nothing at all musically in 2023, so the assumption must be that they’ve been working away on new material. There’s bound to be some sort of backlash – there always is when a band or singer enjoys unprecedented success from the get-go. I really do wish them luck, and I’m looking forward to finding out if the new material is as good as songs such as these.
mp3: Wet Leg – Angelica
mp3: Wet Leg – Wet Dream
mp3: Wet Leg – Piece Of Shit
Just paid a visit to their website and noticed that they appear to have some live shows in the offing next year……as the guests of Foo Fighters at stadium shows in Manchester, London and Cardiff. It’ll be interesting to see how their whimsical brand of pop goes down with the rock crowd.
Oh, and the prices they are asking for band merchandise from their 2022 tours is really on the steep side. The things you can get away with when the general public fall for your charms……
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
At last… I’ve now heard Wet Leg. I like it but… it does not rock my world – just too derivative of other bands etc., yet still an enjoyable enough listen. Nosy, I had a look at that expensive merchandise on their site. My first thought… why do they have a ‘store’?
I guess they’ve never been in a shop?
Flimflamfan
I love those kids. There’s an I-absolutely-don’t-give-a-shit quality to their delivery that’s just magic.
I think The Last Dinner Party will do a similar thing next year – they’re already selling out big venues and have yet toi release an album
JimDoes
In 2021 I was crazy for Wet Leg. “Chaise Longue” catapulted itself into my best_ever playlist (where it met “I bet you look good …”). After doing some extensive math, I can say that I have watched the video countless times. In 2022 I bought the album and visited a concert in Hamburg, but until a few minutes ago, I had completely forgotten about them. I keep my fingers crossed for the next album. After such a debut, it must be a nightmare.
So far I haven’t paid much attention to “Piece of Shit”. That was probably unfair.
[silly kisser]