Wednesday 17 February 2010

584 THE THRILLS, The Delays, Solar, Bristol Fleece, Sunday 30 March 2003


Saw this one in the NME classifieds, and took the opportunity for an intriguing Mother's Day gig! Drove down with Rachel, spotting deer on the way (always a good sign), and hit the venue at 10 to 8. First band Solar had just started, and played a pleasant set of quite tuneful mid-paced numbers, with good choruses a feature. One to watch, perhaps. Second support The Delays were on at 1/4 to 9 as the place filled up. An intriguing start, with good use of keyboard embellishment, faded mid-set into a blander, quieter experience. A little disappointing after that good start.

Found a spot near the front, stage left, as The Thrills came on at 10 to 10, to the backing track of Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days". I had only their beguiling surf-pop single "One Horse Town" to go on prior to this gig, but found this set a delightful blend of lazy hazy Summery tunes, delicious 3 part harmonies (for which I'm always a total sucker), Byrds-ish melody (a little bit country, a little bit rock'n'roll), and self-effacing humility. The single and "Corey Haim" were my highlights of an excellent set loaded with potential and promise. It's verrrrrry early days yet, but this lot could be the best British band since Seafood. Let's wait and see...

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