1,396 WE ARE SCIENTISTS, Bristol Rough Trade, Tuesday 22nd July 2025

 

Another Rough Trade album release/ meet and greet show, then, this one showcasing the new release (another one! Already!) from prolific, chameleonic and now-veteran NYC indie roustabouts We Are Scientists. Since I reconnected with this quixotic trio in 2021, they’d delivered 3 damn fine “live” performances for me (including Band of the Day honours at the 2022 Victorious Festival (gig. 1,240)) and a couple of quite contrasting albums in the brash, buoyant and bullish powerpop of “Huffy” and the smoother, silkier synth shenanigans of its successor “Lobes”. So, when they announced a small Rough Trade album release tour in support of new, 9^th (!) effort “Qualifying Miles”, I booked for this early evening Bristol date, interested to see what direction their ongoing musical odyssey would take next.

I wasn’t the only one so intrigued either, as this one sold out in short order, prompting the addition of a Matinee show! So, anticipating a very busy (and hot!) one in this small back room, and also desirous of a quick getaway afterwards to catch as much as possible of England’s clashing Women’s Euros semi-final (c’mon you Lionesses!), I set off later than usual with the intention of hanging back for WAS’ set. Parked up and got in just about 10 past 7, taking a space ¾ back, house left, in the already very full venue. This is going to bake…

We Are Scientists wasted no time either, joining us dead on 7.30, with snowy-capped vocalist Keith Murray already announcing, “wow, you guys have made it very hot in here!” before bassist Chris Cain deadpanned, “we’ve been planning this event for years, we just needed the album… it needed a lot of admin!” They then opened up with a couple off said new album, and it immediately became apparent that, with the off-kilter echoey discordancy of opener “Please Don’t Say It” and the brooding, descending slo-grunge and terrace chant choral hook of the subsequent “Big One”, that “Qualifying Miles” had advanced the 80’s synth sound of its’ predecessor “Lobes” by a full decade, with some distinctly 90’s US alt-rock guitar licks. Intriguing… 

The choppy guitar angst of oldie “Buckle” preceded another newie in the plaintive alt-country of “At The Mill In My Dreams” – track 11 on the album according to Keith, which prompted a discussion as to whether anyone even makes it that far on a record! “Put it on shuffle!” was the helpful suggestion from one punter down the front, prompting a dismissive cry from the vocalist. The herky jerky math rock of first album standout “The Great Escape” followed, the boys suggesting this was a Timothee Chalamet cover (!), before another slo-grunger in the Promise Ring-esque “I Could Do Much Worse” continued to underline the sonic template of this new release.

“Do another one!” screamed another front-row punter, the quickfire Keith responding with “Shit! We were going to do that; now it looks as if we’re following your lead!” “A Lesson I Never Learned” was a rather moving newie, its’ pathos at odds with the ebullient between-song banter from the boys, then the staccato one-note riffery of oldie “Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt” raised the temperature even further with a front row mosh (even standing ¾ back and swaying along gently, I was working up a considerable sweat and had long abandoned my ill-thought out extra shirt). But the set highlight for me was the sparkling and absorbing VU/ Stereolab-ish layered drone-rock and anthemic hook of “What You Want Is Gone”, a very likely contender for inclusion on my “Best of 2025” compo CD. The boys then thanked Bristol (“our favourite UK city!”) before the whip-smart intricate hook of a hard-rocking “After Hours” rounded off another excellent We Are Scientists performance – a bloody hot one as well!

I stuck to my pre-gig plans, with a quick exit from the venue affording me a spot near the front of the queue for the album signing and meet and greet. Happily, the boys were out quickly too, so I grabbed a pic and a few words with an affable trio, before heading off for an air-conditioned drive home, grabbing a late kebab tea and catching the last half hour plus extra time of the Lionesses’ dramatic semi-final win. So, an excellent result in more ways than one, and on the evidence of tonight, the new 90’s alt-indie vibes of “Qualifying Miles” might just prove a genius move from We Are Scientists, and be one of their best albums to date…!

1,395 MIDWAY STILL, The Charlemagnes, Oxford Bullingdon Arms (Front Room), Tuesday 15th July 2025

 

Well, this is becoming a bit of a habit… and a most welcome one as well, I might add… A mere 370 days and 60 gigs (for me) after the last time (gig 1,335, last July), and for the 4^th time in 5 years and 16^th time overall, 90’s “live” favourites Midway Still make another “slight return” to my Dance Card, with yet another tongue in cheek “World Tour”, this time taking in an Oxford gig as the nearest date to the ‘don. Given that I was actually there the last time they played the “city of dreaming spires”, at Jericho Tavern waaay back in April 1992 (gig 208, where, it should be noted, they drew more people for that gig than Pulp did at the same venue a month later!), I was well up for yet another dose of their noisy, ramshackle yet eminently tune-laden brand of 90’s post-grungy US-influenced Husker/Dino/Lemon/Tom-esque indie rock.

Happily, after a break of a year due to a clashing holiday, Tim was on board as well, so we headed off through ominous drizzle, parking up easily in the old Tesco car park, and heading across the road to the venue. First thing to note was that we entered through the storefront into the front bar, as the gig was in this smaller room rather than the more spacious (yet still not particularly large) usual back-room venue. Second thing was that no-one seemed to have an interest in serving us at the bar, so sod it, we went dry! Paul, Russell and Dec, collectively AKA the Fine Gentlemen of The Still, joined us shortly after for warm greetings and brief words with both us and a number of the early comers, before openers The Charlemagnes kicked off dead on 8 pm. Featuring Ben Harding of 90’s indie hopefuls The Senseless Things, this lot eschewed the taut hyper-brisk colourful indie pop of his former charges in favour of some more 70’s CBGB’s bluesy sleazoid proto-punk noise, with occasional Dinosaur Jr-esque laze rock riffery (esp. during a later “Not Everyone”). “Legitimate Concerns” was a bit of an outlier, featuring some tuneful choral harmonies, and I liked their closing version of Leatherface’s overlooked Geordie rocker anthem “Not Superstitious”, but my favourite part of the set was the burly bassist staring through the open door to the Tesco opposite and commenting, “it’s really weird [playing while watching] people doing their shopping!”

I’d missed a chunk of the Charlemagnes’ set as my tummy unexpectedly started playing up but nonetheless took a spot down the front for the Still, ready to rock out as best as my 6-decades old self would allow. Kill or cure, then… The boys took the stage to the minimum of fuss, Paul confessing, “this is like some weird family reunion – I know everyone in the audience by name!” That being so, said familiarity bred a nonchalant, relaxed vibe; nothing to prove to anyone here, The Still ploughed into this opening night set with their usual hard rocking ease, opener “Claret” featuring some particular speedy drum rolls from animated drummer Dec. Paul complained of some guitar mix issues during “Note To Self” (“it’s like playing in your living room…”) but honestly, even from my front row vantage point, the mix sounded clear throughout. 

The merch man joined me in rocking down the front to his favourite, the rarely played “Apple”, and “Me In You” was an incendiary fire-breather as The Still really warmed to their task. In good fooling too, particularly Paul, for which every song was a “no thought required” or “needs some thought”, and the transition from the hardcore punkish “Fuck You” to the slower “tricky ballad” of “Drag To Care” was, “going from stupid to a bit more stupid!” “What You Said” was a powerful, Huster Du-esque mid-set highlight, followed by a mad story about Dec believing Martha and the Muffins won Eurovision! Inevitably, the joyous singalong of a brilliant “Better Than Before” (“our smash hit song from 1992!”) was a closing set highlight, although the boys remained onstage for the “encore”, Paul thanking all and sundry for coming, then me for, “dancing like a lunatic in front of us!” You’re welcome, bub! A blistering rampage through MBV’s “You Made Me Realise” segueing in with an equally breathless and hurtling “Come Down” then rounded off this remarkably swift-feeling hour-long, superbly well-rocking yet remarkably tight, intuitive and together (especially for opening night!) set from this veteran power trio.

Luckily no-one grabbed Paul’s list midway through the last number this time, so I scooped it up, along with a CD of last year’s Birmingham gig recording, before we had a quick catch-up on recent events with Paul, then bade fond farewells to the Still lads, pausing for Tesco eats to settle my tum (although my dancing to the Still was more “cure”, I’m glad to report…) then heading off home. Given that tonight’s turnout could best be described as a compact and bijou gathering of the devoted, I’m not sure how sustainable this yearly jaunt is going to be, but let’s face it… if Midway Still keep coming back, then so will we!

1,394 CHEEKFACE, MARTHA, Fresh, Bristol Strange Brew, Saturday 12th July 2025

 

The UK is in the grip of a serious heatwave, so what do I do on probably the hottest day of said spell? Why, go to a sell-out gig in a tiny venue in Bristol, of course! To be fair, this one was booked long before the mercury went haywire; a quick return to gigging action for North-East helium punk-popsters Martha, and at Strange Brew, the same venue where they tore it up last September (gig. 1,344), but this time in support (!) of quirky US indie newbies Cheekface! I’d liked bits of the Cheeksters’ stripped back, lyrically wry and comedic recorded output so far, particularly the They Might Be Giants through a Weezer filter vibe of “We Need A Bigger Dumpster” but I was intrigued to see how the joke might play out over a full hour. Particularly in a sweaty little venue, following such an overtly dynamic band such as Martha. We’ll see… 

My Dice app suggested doors were at 7, so I set off just after 6.15 for an air-conditioned drive down a baking M4, only to find I was ½ hour late, with openers Fresh already midway through their set! Damn shame, as what I heard was some spritely, fast and frantic C86-ish ramshackle indie pop, with some insistent overlaid choral harmonies recalling early Coach Party or even tonight’s headliners. Vocalist Kathryn was clearly up for it as well; “my bra is out, my boobs are out [they weren’t], my armpit hair is out… it’s the most fun I’ve had in years!” A slightly messy grunge/ thrash closer didn’t detract from a splendid opening set, prompting me to buy their “Raise Hell” CD and chat briefly with the ebullient vocalist afterwards. Apparently, most of Fresh’s set was new material too, being tour road-tested, so fingers crossed for a new album later this year… 

The place was already full and sweaty, so I grabbed a central spot a few rows back for Martha’s 7.50 entrance after a startlingly quick turnaround. In no mood to fuck about or make concessions to the heat, they ripped into their set in their usual rapid-fire manner, an early “Chekhov’s Hangnail” prompting an early singalong from this young, gender-fluid audience. “Happy Pride! Especially if you’re Trans!” Naomi announced after a jolly “Love Keeps Kicking”, introducing the subsequent broodier “Into This” with an ironic, “this is a love song…”; then the brash, breathless and acerbic “Hope Gets Harder” tore the venue a new one, drummer Nathan powering the number along and finishing with a “Tommy Gun” drum flourish.

Guitarist JC shared a story of getting in trouble in the supermarket earlier before “Supermarket Song”, then drummer Nathan announced a rarely/ never (?) played oldie, the urgent “Historian”, featuring excellent layered harmony vocals from all 4 band members, singing contrasting lyric lines, an oft-underappreciated feature of a number of Martha songs. Following a punkish blast through “Wrestlemania VIII”, the drummer then made an impassioned albeit carefully worded speech in support of Palestine to unanimous acclaim from the crowd, before a venomous set-highlight “Flag Burner”. The change of pace and gabbled vocal of “Bubble In My Bloodstream” closed a frenetic 45 minutes, after which, despite only swaying in my spot, I looked like someone had dumped a bucket of water over me! Still, well worth it for another excellent Martha set…

Took a breather outside (as, it seemed, did most of the audience!) before heading back in just before the headliners, as the PA blasted TMBG’s “Birdhouse In Your Soul”. A bit on the nose, that…! Cheekface themselves emerged behind a marching band fanfare backing track, a buoyant opener in “Popular” (no, not that one…) followed swiftly by vocalist Greg Katz’ slower, monotone rap during “Best Life” and even more robotic vocal delivery of “Featured Singer”, segueing into an audience participation of “Cha Cha Slide”.

And therein lies my problem with Cheekface; as much as I enjoyed Katz’ deadpan, Richman-esque vocal delivery during the subsequent “We Need A Bigger Dumpster” (which was excellent, the laconic stripped-back verse bursting into a huge, stomping Weezer-esque chorus), too much of it made the early material sound flat and plodding, the laconic and intricately humorous nature of the lyrics also being a bit lost for me in the process. The between song banter (shticks about Bristol being “an important entertainment market” and a quip about air-con having not made it across the Atlantic) was also delivered in the same inexpressive manner, and (despite clearly being the only one with this view in this enthusiastic crowd), I was really holding out for something to liven Cheekface’s performance up a few notches… 

Luckily it arrived, and via an unlikely source; Katz introduced, “an original Cheekface composition,” in “Noodles”, a song to rival Sebadoh in its subject matter, brevity and utter silliness, then in a fun “Groundhog Day” moment, played the damn thing 3 times! After that, the set picked up considerably in both pace and buoyant mood; “When Life Hands You Problems” was a superfast gabbling punky blast, and whilst I could have done without the “Give It Away” rap in an otherwise fine drum-propelled “Military Gum”, the subsequent “Eternity Leave” was a great We Are Scientists-like slice of alt-powerpop, and the upbeat Smiths jangle of “Art House” even better. The relentlessly jolly “Middle East” preceded a diatribe from Katz about the need for community in this fucked-up world, before the jumpy Weezer-isms of “Listen To Your Heart” rounded off a variable set which finished very strongly and largely won this old cynic over in the end.

 A quick R.E.M-centric chat with Bristol gig friend Louise down the front afterwards, then a sweaty drive home, hitting a stationary bank of traffic on the M32 for 10 minutes or so as an accident was cleared, but still getting back for a late doner wrap tea and home about 11.30. A fine night overall, then; a promising new band in Fresh, Cheekface were fun albeit a bit inconsistent (as I’d anticipated in all honesty), but Martha won out for me, having really raised the temperature on a hot and sweaty night, with another excellent set!