It’s
supposed to be the other way around, this; go see a great headliner and be won
over by the support act… but then, I am, I guess, me…! I’d picked up on Northern
Ireland’s Brand New Friend last year, one of an impressive clutch of new young
2018 bands I’d discovered thanks to the pages of the excellent “Louder Than
War” magazine, along with the likes of Basement Revolver, Liines and Teenage
Wrist. Their debut, “Seatbelts For Aeroplanes” made an immediate impression,
bursting out of the blocks with some effervescent, upbeat indie-powerpop in a
similar vein to Happy Accidents, Martha et al, but with some big beefy choral hooklines,
and in “Why Are You So Tired”, a bona fide, first ballot, nailed-on dead cert
for my “Best of 2018” CD. Been keeping an eye out for any “live” BNF gigs since
then, just never dreamed they’d actually come to my hometown and play my 80’s-90’s
“spiritual home”, Level 3! The fact they were support was of no consequence, I
booked tix pretty much immediately… headliner and Extra Mile Records labelmate Sean
McGowan was a largely unfamiliar name to me; I’d caught part of a set supporting
Gaz Brookfield once but didn’t recall much from it. So, here for the support,
open mind on the headline act…
Hit
the venue about 8.15, after an early evening watching my daughter’s Street
Dance class, to find it deserted… apparently the previous night’s soundman had
pissed off with the keys, so things were late getting started! By 8.30, only a
small smattering of folk were in situ for openers Nerve Endings. Only their 5th
gig, this, they ploughed a furrow between driving riff-heavy grungy rock and
more QOTSA-like slow, sludgy stoner blues, in both cases proficiently but oddly
politely and understated. The beefy vocalist was an entertaining sort, though,
and a lower-key set closer “Chin Up” showed more promise, so you never know… By
now I’d been joined by Rich Carter and his mates, and a few more punters had
trickled in for Brand New Friend, on just after 9. And after a spritely if
unfamiliar opener, “Karma”, there was an immediate example of what top chaps
they are; I’d expressed disappointment before the set to vocalist Taylor
Johnson, tuning up, that “Why Are You So Tired” seemed absent from the
set-list, and second number in, he announced, “we weren’t going to play this
one, but this is for that guy down there [on the dancefloor]”, immediately
bursting into an ebullient rendition of my favourite BNF track, the keyboard-led
speeded-up Senseless Things’ “Too Much Kissing” underpinning riff ceding to its’
soaring chorus. Tremendous stuff, and they had me after that, as I threw myself
into as many shapes as my knackered knees would allow. “I Was An Astronaut” was
preceded by a sincere reference from Taylor to the “shit time” Swindon is
currently experiencing, and praising tonight’s attendance with, “this is a
victory for music!”, and “Girl” was tongue-in-cheek dedicated to Joni Mitchell
(“who’s here tonight on the balcony!” Yeah, right…), this knockabout track
proving particularly excellent “live”, the dual call-and-response vocals of
Taylor and keyboardist sister Lauren a feature. All too soon, newie “Carparks”
ended a set replete with fresh, buoyant indiepop with towering hooks and
melody. That was the real victory for music, right there!
Grabbed
a list and some compliments from a breathless Taylor, before taking more of a
watching brief for Sean McGowan’s set. And, as hoped, it didn’t taking him too long
to win me over; with quite the broadest Cockney accent since Danny Dyer, which
understandably bled (no, make that haemorrhaged…)
into his singing voice, the rock was firmly and splendidly in Turner/Bragg
tubthumping protest folk/punk territory, hooky, barbed and pointedly
acid-tongued, holding up a mirror to the fucked-up world we currently find
ourselves in, and the often lengthy but entertaining banter veered between
achingly sincere (viz. his lengthy tributes to his support acts tonight) and
comic (lamenting his usual bandmate who’d apparently entered a crown green
bowls competition in Bolton instead of coming on tour!). A mid-set solo break (“it’s
all going to get a bit emo”) to play a heartfelt tribute to his best friend and
his sadly-lost mum was powerful and poignant, but my highlights came later,
with an excellent “Autopilot” documenting his efforts to “wind my neck in” and
reduce the booze, and a superb, euphoric and inclusive closer “No Show”, by which
time the BNF guys were chanting a very Glasvegas-like, “here we fucking go!”
from the balcony and waving their shirts around with glee. Leaving us with a
positive and inclusive message, Sean’s set was as entertaining for us as it was
evidently cathartic for him. Excellent!
Handshakes,
selfies and compliments with the performers afterwards at the merch stand, before
I took Rich and friends home, then home to grab some kip before my 6.15 a.m.
alarm call (yikes!). So, Brand New Friend were as spunky, spritely and splendid
as I’d hoped, and Sean McGowan won me over. A great double-header!
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