It’s a fairly dismal midweek evening, so it’s gratifying to see a decent turnout early doors for this quality package tour date. It’s equally gratifying to see that while the two local supports have inevitably brought along some fans, they’re decent enough to stick around for the visiting bands instead of sodding off immediately afterwards.
This could be because both Affairs (from Hull) and Asio’s Eyes (from York) are bands who’ve developed fan-bases through hard work, rather than hauling a sixth-form rentacrowd to their gigs to appear popular. Affairs are an interesting proposition: steeped in 80s rock/pop tradition, they tread with fine line between flamboyance and burkdom with minimal regard. Asio’s Eyes, on the other hand, are more fluid, more natural and more cool I every way. The additional sax brings a new depth to some of the songs, and they demonstrate with assurance that they’ve come a long way since they started out. They have a sense of drama, of the epic, too, with some well-considered build-ups and some immense choruses. Given that I’ve had the last song of their set, ‘Panthers’ stuck in my head for three days straight now, I’d say they’ve got a talent for memorable tunes, too.
Whales in Cubicles definitely have some memorable tunes, and have generated a substantial buzz in a fairly short period of time, and their recent debut album has been well received. Live, they’re hard to fault, too. Ok, so singer Stef Bernadi struggles with some of the high notes throughout the set, but they’ve got an energy that’s infectious and a guitar sound that’s hard to argue with. Current single ‘We Never Win’ is thrown early into the set, and sets the stall for their brand of anthemic rock. ‘Stadium rock’ may have come to have negative connotations in recent years, but Whales in Cubicles have songs with choruses big enough to fill any arena. There’s certainly no shame in that, and why should there be?
|
Fight Like Apes, meanwhile, are an altogether different proposition. Their tunes are unashamedly low-budget pop, with cheapy retro synths bubbling and tooting every which way over thumping bass grooves and lively percussion.
Mary-Kate Geraghty makes for an ace front person: performing without shoes, she’s a real live wire, and cavorts about the stage with wild abandon. There’s a haphazard, spontaneous and irreverent feel to the performance, and at times it almost feels more like watching a rehearsal than a gig - and that’s by no means a criticism. There’s an intimacy and an immediacy about FLA’s show that’s beyond rare. Few less pretentious bands have ever trod the boards, and rather than appearing shambolic or amateurish, the style of presentation is endlessly endearing.
It’s also entirely fitting with the music: lo-fi bedroom pop, cranked up and and played with unwavering energy. MayKay jibes the York audience for being reserved (she’s not the first, and won’t be the last) and asks for quiet (the same applies), but there are clearly many here tonight who love this band and show the enthusiasm the ‘fourth best Irish band’ deserve. A fair chunk of the set is culled from their last album, the gloriously bratty ‘The Body of Christ and The Legs of Tina Turner’, and they air tracks from the upcoming ‘Whigfield Sex Tape EP’ too. Tracks from the debut album, notably ‘Lend Me Your Face’ go down a storm and they leave a wake of beautiful chaos.
|
