1,281 THE STAYAWAKES, Rila’s Edge, The Gears Distribution, Guildford The Star Inn, Saturday 27th May 2023

 

How 3 gigs in 3 nights can easily become 4 in 5…! Those splendid Southsea harmony-led guitar ruffians The Stayawakes announced a slew of dates around the late May Bank Holiday, in support of new single “Life Gets In Your Way”, another honeyed, Summery amphetamine pop blast with a hook you could land a whale with, to add to their canon of similarly irresistibly catchy powerpop. Unfortunately, first glance of the schedule saw them nowhere near the ‘don (well, after they’d played Lydiard’s Cheese and Chilli Fest last July, gig 1,236, lightning was never going to strike twice), so I’d resigned to miss them this time around. However, a late-in-the-day revisit of their itinerary revealed Guildford actually wasn’t as far away as I’d remembered from my only previous gig there (The Wild Swans, back in 1988, gig 93!), so plans for a sunny Saturday evening road-trip adventure were hastily put in place…!

Hit the road just after 6, then, an M4 blast and winding Berkshire roads pitching me up at the car park near the river, just in time to catch the Championship play-off penalty shoot-out in the adjacent George Abbot pub! Crossed over the bridge and round the corner to the Star Inn, finding The Stayawakes in the bar of this multi-roomed/ level old Inn, and spending a convivial hour or so catching up with these splendid gentlemen, debating the vagaries of rock’n’roll fortune, and the importance of small venues such as tonight’s. Nipped up about 9 into the small and evocatively dingy black curtain-lined upstairs back room, where The Gears Distribution were rounding off a bolshy and urgently noisy old school punk-sounding set. A young 3-piece with a drummer/vocalist, their “I Don’t Like You” featured the tense, taut drama of early Ruts, whilst closer “Take It Out On Me” had a more agit-post punk feel. Either way, they didn’t seem to disturb the guy sleeping on the stage steps (!), until he asked the band to play Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now” as an encore! Wokingham five-piece main support Rila’s Edge, next up, were a different proposition, playing a robust and strong-armed type of expansive, radio-friendly pseudo indie rock, which from the outset strongly recalled The Killers. The set featured a few decent choruses, belted out with neck-bulging conviction by the young vocalist, and a nice creepy bass line underpinning the verse of their best number “Winona “ (no, not that one…), but overall it felt as if they were putting too much effort in, as if they were trying to batter us into submission with their numbers rather than play them. Mind you, I recall thinking the same about The Killers themselves during their 2002 British Sea Power support slot (gig 619) so what the fuck do I know, hey?

 The place, quiet during these 2 supports, then simply emptied as The Stayawakes set up, leaving me, 3 blokes sat at the back and the sound-guy/ doorman the only “audience” present… However, the Stayawakes are, to a man, veterans of what we euphemistically call “the toilet circuit”, where playing to the support acts and the bar staff actually constitutes a decent turnout, and are consequently well aware of their place in the pecking order of the rock’n’roll pantheon. Happily, that means they’re also inured to playing to the folks present, rather than the hordes that are absent (evidenced by vocalist/ guitarist Jimmy’s retort to my suggestion that I try and round folks up out of the pub for their set; “nah, fuck ‘em!”). And straight from the opening rolling drum and building guitar riff of opener “Wendy”, they were on it, playing for the sheer joy of playing, and delivering the type of ragged, raw, kinetic and elemental performance that encapsulates what I love about rock’n’roll, turning me into a “one man mosh” (thanks Peter!) from my house right spot. Indicating me, Jimmy announced, “this guy knows us… the rest of you don’t, but I can guarantee you won’t forget us!”

 

Jimmy gave a boost for the recently re-released debut “Dogs And Cats/ Living Together” before the hurtling, descending hook of that album’s “Inevitable Truth”; then guitarist/ vocalist Andrew relayed a message from the Brock Lesnar action figure sat on the monitor, “I’m here to kick your butt!”, before a shining rendition of newie “Life Gets In Your Way”. Then a simply awesome “Lovestruck” was again my overall set highlight, the huge swaggering and strafing hook driving the number along. The subsequent Pixies/ Weezerish swayalong of “Stepping Over Cracks” was actually a welcome respite for me from the riff-fuelled powerpop bullets, enabling me to take a much-needed breather! Finally, before closer “Little Explorer”, the boys persuaded the 3 guys at the back to come to the front, then this metronomic number saw Jimmy, bassist Peter and guitarist/ vocalist Andrew abandon the stage and riff furiously away in the faces of the 4 of us, myself included! A cracking set, once again, from this special rabble, and one I won’t forget in a hurry… A quick chat with the boys and a fellow veteran punter (who compared them to The Buzzcocks, to Jimmy’s delight), then I hit the road for a winding drive back, home at 20 to 1, after another splendid Stayawakes adventure!

1,280 ALVVAYS, Ex Void, London Kentish Town Forum, Thursday 25th May 2023

 

The third of 3 gigs in 3 nights, and, neatly bookending in with last night’s spritely female-fronted indiepop pipistrels flying in from far-flung fields to promote their third album (NZ’s The Beths), here’s another lot! This time it’s Canada’s Alvvays, gracing my “Dance Card” for the 6^th time but the first for over 5 years (damn Covid!), over in the UK to promote their 3^rd effort, last year’s “Blue Rev”. I have to confess that I found this a lot less immediate than their previous more upbeat releases, although its’ more textural and less jangly wall-of-sound shoegazey dreampop and submerged vocals however ultimately rewarded repeated listens, and still figured in my “Best Of 2022” compo CD and lists. Shame they weren’t playing anywhere closer (Bristol, yeah, but during an all-day festival), but I still booked tix for this one, curious as to how – or whether! – they’ll dovetail this more textural new approach into their usual buoyant live shows. We’ll see…

 A sunny mid-afternoon departure saw me parking up in Osterley as usual, taking the lengthy tube trek over to Kentish Town in time to join the O2 Priority queue (hooray!) just before 7 p.m. doors, and securing an easy barrier spot on which to rest my aching knee (third in 3, this, as I mentioned…). Formed a front row coalition with a couple of young fellow barrier-leaners, one a tall chap from Dover, and another a student from the Caribbean! Gig chat whiled away the hour until 8, when support Ex Void joined us. Featuring the former Joanna Gruesome m/f dual vocal attack of the close-shorn and strikingly tall Lan and her partner in crime, the tousled Adam Granduciel (War On Drugs) lookalike Owen Williams, I’m happy to report they were much improved from my one sighting of their former charges, supporting The Popguns back in 2012 (gig 846!)! This set showcased some intelligently crafted and robust US-inflected alt rock, which initially touched on the expansive countrified powerpop of Gin Blossoms (opener “Boyfriend”), through “Ray”-era Lemonheads (the discordant underlying riff of “In Love Again” strongly recalling Evan’s “Rudderless”) and more into chunky harmonic Teenage Fanclub riff-powered laze rock (set highlight, the penultimate “No Other Way”), via an acoustic interlude demonstrating Lan’s clean and clear set of pipes. Shame they only had vinyl copies of their record for sale on the merch stand, as this was an impressive opening set from a band I’d like to hear more of.

 The place got busier, but a between-bands comfort break was much easier than last night’s at SWX, and a fiddly pedals soundcheck bumped us right up to 9.15, Alvvays then taking the stage to the sound of harmonic (and doubtless Canadian!) Inuit chanting. Vocalist Molly Rankin, a little mumsier nowadays, led her band into new album opener “Pharmacist”, which sadly sounded a little flat, the mix not doing it any favours and the guitar pattern a little too discordant. “Earthquake” fared much better, however, particularly after a slow-burn mid-8 break, and by an excellent, strident and soaring “In Undertow” the mix was happily sorted, Yay!

 

Following those initial collywobbles, this was a sparkling and delightful set from an increasingly special band. Alvvays’ material is less overtly upbeat and much more subtle than, say, last night’s hosts The Beths (even on their faster tunes such as a rip-roaring later “Pomeranian Spinster”), but no less hooky and brain-hugging for that. And, particularly on their more slow-burn wall of sound numbers (even newies such as an early, lush “Many Mirrors” and the impressive final verse octave-shift of “Belinda”), there’s a warmth, a cosy familiarity to their music that envelops you like a chunky sweater or an old blanket. Also, Molly’s clear and soaring high-register vocals were happily less muffled than on “Blue Rev”, giving the new material a different dimension. As for the oldies, “Adult Diversion” was irresistibly jangly and hooky; “Not Your Baby” (introduced by Molly with, “feel free to get sentimental”) stripped-back and emotive; and “Hey” a superb mid-set highlight, Molly mayhem leading the band through a roaring 60’s US West Coast psych riff-fest. “Archie, Marry Me”, stylishly slotted mid-set, was however wonderful, a soaring, all-encompassing roof-raising singalong, and predictably the highlight of the night. But did you expect anything else, really…?

 Molly “stirred the pot” with some between-song banter about Noel Gallagher, before the penultimate “Easy On Your Own”, which was also a strident, soaring singalong. A punky, thrashy “Saved By A Waif” closed the set, before a 3-song encore featuring galloping oldie “Atop A Cake” rounded off a superb performance which, despite initial sound issues, may have been the best I’ve seen from Alvvays. A list thanks to a friendly roadie (who insisted on ensuring I had one!), then a crowded and truncated tube journey still pitched me up at the car at midnight, home at 1.30 a.m. after 3 (!) sets of slow roadworks on the M4. Yikes! But worth the lengthy trek to see Alvvays on this form, for sure, and a fine way to round off this hectic 3 in 3 schedule…

1,279 THE BETHS, Lande Heckt, Bristol SWX, Wednesday 24th May 2023

 

Barely a year after their Covid-affected, multiple-times-postponed UK tour for their sophomore album, 2020’s “Jump Rope Gazers” (April 2022, in fact; gig. 1,223), spritely New Zealand indiepop combo The Beths once again make the lengthy trek to the UK, to tour their third! Said album, “Expert In A Dying Field” was once again a shining glory-box of brain-hugging hookery and upbeat Summery indie tuneage, adding to an already-impressive body of work which has seen them as regulars on my recent “Best Of” annual compo CDs, and of course on my “Dance Card” gig itineraries. A Bristol gig at the (hopefully now completely repaired, following a fire in July 2021) SWX was therefore an essential one, also representing a step up in venue size for talented singer/ songwriter Liz Stokes and the boys. Let’s see how they adapt to this, then…

 Beef joined us for this one, popping round for 5.30, then we headed to Shrivenham to pick up Abstraction Engine boys David and Gareth before a swift journey saw us park up just before 7. My first SWX visit since said fire, and happily there’s a much wider entry staircase, and better gent’s loos! Grabbed drinks and a floor spot a few rows back, chatting before opener Lande Heckt at 8. A full band Lande this time, she/they were full on authentic C86/ Sarah Records revivalists, from the innocent, slightly gauche Summery tuneage evoking lazy days punting on the Thames, to the Breton shirts and oversized, turned-up jeans. An innocuous jangly vibe, if more than a little substantial and lacking oomph mix-wise, and also lacking memorable tunes, a more upbeat, Weddoes-like “80 Days Of Rain” and robust closer “Gay Space Cadets” notwithstanding.

 I’d wore my Parachute Men t-shirt tonight and, between bands, was approached by a gent who’d driven all the way from Derby for tonight’s tour opening night (that’s dedication for you!), but who’d also played in a band with original Paras drummer Mark Boyce! Had a nice chat while the dancefloor in this awkwardly-shaped venue got ever more crowded; then at 9.20 the strains of a casio-tone version of “Future Me Hates Me” fed through the PA, The Beths then taking the stage and romping through the actual version, accompanied by the sudden mid-song inflation of a giant trout head (who actually got an introduction when The Beths attempted a somewhat awkward round-robin band intro, as “Bird”!) to surprised cheers. An early “Out Of Sight” took a couple of tries to get going (“we forgot to press record,” quipped drummer Tristan), before its’ understated, pastoral verse ceded to some serious middle-8 shredding from vocalist Liz, then “Great No One” – one of many Beths numbers which give the impression of actually accelerating throughout the song! – featured excellent harmonies from the happily-restored guitarist Jonathan (after missing that Fleece gig 1,223 through illness) and bassist Ben, contrasting with Liz’ pure, lilting lead line.

 

Harmonies were actually quite to the fore tonight; as per the support, the guitar sound again felt a little less upfront in the mix (particularly during “Head In The Clouds”, which sadly sounded notably less robust than on record), but this allowed Jonathan and Ben’s delightful vocal backups greater prominence in the sound. Suits me, I’ve always been a sucker for 3-part harmonies, and on the slower numbers such as the plaintive, beautiful “Your Side”, the lush “Jump Rope Gazers” and the countrified, “Shame About Ray”-era Lemonheads-esque “When You Know You Know” they were the main feature. They’ve worked on their between-song banter too; Liz’ early comment about the nice weather in Bristol turned into a climate change critique (their native Auckland suffering recent floods), and Tristan later recounted catching a bus in Bristol and enjoying using the phrase, “cheers drive!”. “Less Than Thou” was a superb mid-set highlight, a slow burn riff building to a metronomic and absorbing thrill-ride recalling War On Drugs (!); “Dying To Believe” was a tremendous fizz-pop blast with some great strident mid-song “whoo”’s (I did a Mexican wave for these; sadly no-one joined in!); however my overall highlight was set closer “Expert In A Dying Field”, the harmonies once again lush and quite, quite lovely, particularly during the final deconstructed choral outro.

 A gabbling, galloping “Little Death” capped a 2 song encore and an overall splendid showing from this talented combo. Waited for a list afterwards until the lights went on and we were ushered to the back, then had an unpleasant run in with an utter jobsworth asshat security bloke who rather pettily told his colleague (who was in the process of sorting out a list for me, as he’d previously promised) not to give it to me. Then, as I resignedly leaded off to the exit, a Specialist Subject promoter chap tapped me on the shoulder and gave me his copy! Result! Score 10 for SS, minus 1,000,000 for SWX security… So, a happy drive back to drop the boys off, home just after midnight after a fine pop-filled evening out with the boys and The Beths!

1,278 SPARKS, Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer, Oxford New Theatre, Tuesday 23rd May 2023

 

Not mine - but caught by my brother Paul from his stalls spot!

Let it not be said that I’d refuse a free gig ticket…! My brother Paul booked a circle ticket at Oxford New Theatre to see quirky and enduring 70’s glam pop/ art rock mavericks Sparks, then realised that as he was a VIP member of the promotion company, he was entitled to a second-row seat with benefits! So, his circle ticket was going begging, and despite this then becoming the first night of 3 in 3 for me (yipe!), I happily snapped it up to go along to a gig with my brother, even if I don’t get to sit with him! Sparks themselves are (very!) late-comers to my gig “Dance Card” but having thoroughly enjoyed their previous showing (five years ago – practically to the day! – at the Forum, gig 1,086), I was well up for again catching the brothers Mael, out promoting their forthcoming album (their 25^th!) “The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte”…

 An early departure, this; concerned about always-gridlocked Oxford being further affected by the closure of Botley Bridge on our usual drive in, I drove over to Paul’s for 4.30! A happily easy drive in, however, got us parked up in the cavernous Westgate car park and sat in the splendid Wig and Pen pub opposite, enjoying a drink and fine pub grub by 5.30! Milled around outside chatting, before doors at 7 saw us go our separate ways, Paul for his champagne reception and me up in the gods! A fine view, however, for opener Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer at 7.30. As per his previous Sparks support slot, he was a toff throwback novelty act armed with a ukulele and some backing tapes, but following a quirky anthem to introverts, “Looking Forward To Leaving”, his set this time largely consisted of a medley of Sparks songs (“Missionary Position”, “Amateur Hour” and “Get In The Swing” notable vignettes), before his own finale, “Suburban Homeboy”. A jolly cove indeed, I’ll warrant, but only palatable in small doses – lucky this was only 20 minutes!

 Whiled the time away reminiscing of my first trip here, in this very circle over 42 years ago for Echo And The Bunnymen (gig 2!), and checking out the crowd – a broad church indeed, with anyone from Eagles via Undertones to Art Brut repped on tshirts; me, I’d gone for Bauhaus in recognition of yesterday’s World Goth Day! Anyway, the pre-gig opera backing track thankfully abated at 8.30, the 4-piece band backline taking to the stage in shadows (where they stayed throughout, apart from when introduced by Russell Mael during the encore), followed by deadpan, moustachioed keyboardist Ron Mael, then his energetic lightning-rod of a younger brother Russell, bounding onstage like Zebedee, 74 years old yet with the verve and vitality of a man a third his age. “So may we start?” he inquired of the crowd, ironically as this was the title of the opener!

 

This was again a splendid performance from Sparks; the 2 Mael brothers may possess a combined age of 151 (!) but this is no nostalgia bathchair trundle. This was “Opening Night” of the new album tour, the brash industrial synth pulse of the title track second number in, and they were quickly out of the blocks. “Show number 1! It’s going to be fun…” announced Russell, before the circular, almost medieval riff of “Monster Of Love” ceded to the smoother, more 80’s Eurodisko rocker “Angst In My Pants”. Indeed, much of the set was largely keyboard/ synth fuelled, falling into either darker, challenging and robotik sheet-metal Krautrock noise (such as the flippant “Balls” and discordant, gabbling newie “Veronica Lake”) or more conventional, poppier early 80’s Blitz Club fodder (e.g. the unapologetically hooky “When I’m With You”, the Iggy Pop-esque strident stomp of “Toughest Girl In Town” and the Moroder-esque licks of “When Do I Get To Sing My Way?”). Some worked better than others for me, but every track was at least inventive and challenging. And there were exceptions to these rules, of course; a fun early “Beaver O’Lindy” was an odd juxtaposition of rolling drum menace and Parisienne backstreet accordion Chanson, and “It Doesn’t Have To Be That Way”, possibly my favourite newie, was a sweeping and stately paean to individuality. The whole set was however replete with Sparks trademarks such as octave straddling chord changes showing off Russell’s high falsetto, brain-hugging repetitive hooks, energy, oddball humour… and of course very very long song titles!

 A late, soaring “Number One Song In Heaven” again featured Ron briefly abandoning his keyboard to do a goony dance, then the subsequent “This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us” was the highlight of the night; the unmistakeable piano opening giving way to a mighty, thunderous platform boot glam stomp. Brilliant! A couple of slower newies and a 2 song encore then rounded off a splendid 1 hour 40 set, the Maels remaining onstage to take an extended and well deserved curtain call. Paul grabbed a list (just the one, unfortunately) from his advanced position, then we caught our breath before an easy drive home. Great night in fraternal company; a freebie, maybe, but I’d have been happy to pay good money to see Sparks tonight!

1,277 FATHER JOHN MISTY and the BBC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA play the songs of SCOTT WALKER, London Barbican Theatre, Friday 19th May 2023

 

Somewhat of an opportunity missed, this one, but let’s give it the usual positioning preamble…

One of my lesser-known musical pleasures (I hesitate before calling it a “guilty” pleasure; to my mind you should like what the damn hell you like, and never feel guilty about it…) has always been the lush symphonic and harmonic delights of 60’s vocal combo The Walker Brothers, and maverick main-man Scott Walker’s subsequent 5 late 60’s solo efforts, “Scott 1”-“4” and “Till The Band Comes In”. Quite a brilliant body of work, this, a widescreen and luxuriant sound varying from orchestral-backed 60’s teen pop anthems, through Jacques Brel-penned baroque tales of the sleazy underbelly of society, to Scott’s own cutting-edge and off-the-wall later compositions. Albums I return to again and again, and especially (and sadly ironically, as it turned out), to my favourite “Scott 2”. I’m in good company too, with the likes of Ian McCulloch, Julian Cope and Jarvis Cocker all self-confessed Scott fanatics… Anyway, the enigmatic and reclusive Scott was barely seen out in public from the 80’s onwards, let alone treading the boards “live”, and his sparse releases became denser, more challenging and (in the case of 2006’s “The Drift”) pretty much unlistenable. His death in 2019 nonetheless robbed us of a true musical icon and tortured genius.

So I’d long since resigned myself to never hearing Scott’s material “live”; however I chanced upon an ad for this event on facebook and acted immediately, eager to put a lie to that assumption. I knew – and still know – very little about Father John Misty; I’d enjoyed the tight harmonies of his former band Fleet Foxes’ debut album, but found subsequent FF stuff too trad-countrified for my liking, and have totally blanked on his solo career to date. However, checking out a few slow burn, doomy alt-Americana tracks on YouTube, it certainly seemed as though he had the voice to carry this material off (unlike the aforementioned Jarvo, who sadly didn’t, at the 2017 Proms Scott Walker tribute). So off I drove off mid-afternoon on this May Friday, parking up at Osterley as usual for a tube over to St. Pauls, then wandering through tunnelled streets to this relatively new-build, brutalist and labyrinthine concrete block of a building. Showtime was imminent so I passed the time in the expensive Barbican gift shop, then took my allotted seat P2, extreme house right but with a fine view from my very comfortable seats. Most comfortable gig seats evah? Quite possibly!

The Orchestra was already assembled by the intended 7.30 start, but there were a few minutes of lull before the lights dimmed to polite applause, then Father John Misty and the Orchestras conductor Jules Buckley took the stage. The lights faded to black in the auditorium, and a mournful oboe solo was then overlaid by a staccato violin for opener “Montague Terrace (In Blue)”, the orchestral build for the huge soaring chorus a rather splendid feature. A quieter, melancholy “It’s Raining Today” followed, before Misty remarked, “I’ve memorised all the words [for the set] but never sung them, so I have a back up [teleprompter] but it’s not working… so you can retroactively appreciate my performance even more now!”

 And it was a splendid performance from Misty himself; a higher register than Walker’s own deep, sonorous baritone, maybe, he nonetheless was a fine singer, able to carry the more stripped back, sombre material such as a later “Two Ragged Soldiers” as well as compete with the dissonant and ascending orchestral swell of “Boy Child”, and the lush accompaniments of a later “You’re On Your Own Again”. “The Seventh Seal”’s dramatic trumpet opening, blending into an absorbing and haunting Tex-Mex parable powered in no small part by the impressive choir, was an early highlight, garnering the biggest ovation of the set, a subsequent “Copenhagen” changing the mood and evoking sun-dappled city streets with its’ string accompaniments.

Conductor Buckley then spoke eloquently about the performance and the honour of working on Walker’s arrangements (“you can’t underestimate how visionary and avant-garde his music was”) before introducing the orchestra sections, then finally giving kudos to Misty himself, albeit using his given name Josh Tillman. “Such A Small Love” was a return to the orchestral “pop” Scott; “Duchess” a more slow-burn and countrified swayalong, then the elegiac double bass opening into a bleak, gothic rendition of “Tilt”’s “Farmer In The City” required a suitable mournful and yearning vocal from Misty, the man delivering with his best vocal performance of the evening.

The lights then raised as Misty and Buckley took a bow to rapturous applause and departed for what I initially thought was an intermission… however as they returned, and Misty beckoned us all to stand for a rousing and splendidly chorally backed “The Old Man’s Back Again” it became evident that this was it, and “Old Man” was the encore! True enough, Misty and Buckley then took another bow as the house lights raised, and off they went – well before 9, after a 1 hour 20 tops performance! Mystified, I remarked to the chap to my right, a fellow solo flyer from Brighton, “is that it? I expected WAAAAY more!”, his reply being, “well at least I can get an early train back!”

I trotted down to the front, acquired the band guitarist’s list then paused in the auditorium awhile (spotting very tall comedian Rob Delaney in the milling crowd) before the tube journey back to the car, home at midnight after a frustrating detour through inky black Berkshire country lanes behind an utter idiot, thanks to an M4 closure. Don’t get me wrong; Misty was a splendid singer, the Orchestra accomplished and perfect backing for Scott’s material, and “Seventh Seal”, tonight’s highlight, was particularly rather wonderful. I just expected at least 2 hours for my steep £45 ticket price (given no support), and I was gutted that “Scott 2” was totally unrepresented tonight. So, an excellent performance, but still an opportunity missed for me…

1,276 SAD BOYS CLUB, Hot Wax, The Book Club, Bristol Rough Trade Records, Friday 5th May 2023

One of my increasingly frequent trips to Bristol’s excellent Rough Trade Records tonight, but this time for a “proper” gig, rather than an in-store and signing sesh! The facebook page “ New Music For Old Punks” had recommended London newcomers Sad Boy’s Club, and I was so impressed by their urgent, spiky crush collision of upbeat indie and full-throttle new millennial emo evident on their superbly named single “To Heal Without A Scar (Is A Waste Of A Good Wound)” that I’d booked tix for this one before thinking twice about it…! Unfortunately, their album wasn’t actually due for release until today, so to prepare for this one, I’d downloaded some one-off earlier tracks, noting a distinct shift in their sound from an earlier, slightly ramshackle jangle-pop base, into a slower-burn, more expansive and more emotive alt-rock. Lots of moving parts in this new band, then, so this promised to be an intriguing voyage of discovery…

 

Drove down the M4 into the setting sun, dumping the motor in Nelson Street Car Park (scene of many a post-Bierkeller gig conflab in the 80s!) and hitting the venue about half seven, along with a sparse selection of early doors punters, very young and mostly female! Local openers The Book Club were on at 10 to 8, immediately impressing with opener “Ego Trip”, a pounding chunky powerpop rocker with a delicious descending middle 8 riff (always a sucker for those, me…), with the bright choral hook of “I don’t know any better” being sung back lustily by their front row fan club. This set the tone for an unexpected delight, this young band displaying some intelligent songcraft and naggingly insistent singalong hooks, powered by a strong-armed beat and an excellent voice in lead vocalist Em, their high register off-mic work during a later highlight, the widescreen slow-burn of “Flowers Grow”, being particularly impressive. Prior to that, a similar expansive “Don’t Worry Darling” showed serious stadium power ballad credentials, building to an impressive crescendo, and the rocking “Pursuit Of Happiness” closed out a stridently delivered and very promising set, indicating they won’t be bottom of the bill for long…

 Grabbed a quick word with an accommodating Em before popping back in for 3-piece main support Hot Wax. Up and comers from the US, apparently, but their embryonic post-grunge stompalongs and screaming vocals from the 2 female guitarist front line were hard on the ears, recalling the 90’s likes of Babes In Toyland, Hole, L7 et al, not really to my taste back then and certainly not now. One interesting number was propelled by an “LA Woman”-esque running verse bass descending into a sleazy Cramps-like bluesy chorus, but otherwise they became quickly wearing on me, so I retreated to the bar instead for an impromptu chat with a very affable Sad Boys guitarist Chris, about the band’s musical journey to date.

 Anyway, I was front and centre for their appearance at 9.20, the languid hazy Summer evening vibe of “Delicious” kicking off proceedings, hinting at both Britpop and NYC new wave influences. A frantic “Scar” upped the tempo a few dozen notches, recalling recent faves Modern Baseball, with vocalist Jacob already the visual focus;  a bug eyed, tousle haired dervish, varying between early Tim Booth staccato dances and more expansive all-action gesticulations (and, oddly, strongly reminding me of actor James Frain, AKA Paul Raines from “24”!). The subsequent gritty blue-collar city night-time anthem “American Spirit” then reined in the pace to a more emotive, mid-tempo feel, setting the tone for the remainder of the set.

 

Jacob alluded to a difficult gestation for the album in the intro to a languid “Coffee Shop”, which like many numbers in this set, burst into a strident, emotive chorus and a swirling crescendo. “Lump” was almost soulful in comparison, a passionately-delivered, rhythmically herky jerky “Your Mind” sped up towards its denouement, and a later “Chic” showcased some intricate (and appropriately 70’s disco flavoured) fretwork from Chris and some nice falsetto backing vocals courtesy of bassist Pedro, However (and in the absence of my favourite downloaded track, the jangly C86 blast of “Dead Fridays”) my set highlights were the 2 closers, the more upbeat groove and high register hook of “Kukachu”, and the libidinous opening to “Know”, leading into an all-out angst-ridden and impassioned choral entreaty from Jacob, leaving it all onstage.

 Fine stuff overall from a very promising band, and one willing to chat with friends and fans afterwards, which I did before heading off home, getting my list signed in the process. My only criticism at this point would be not to be too eager to discard their earlier material, but hey, that’s up to them. Either way, I’m looking forward to the album, and to continuing my voyage with Sad Boy’s Club!