It’s the last day in June and we’re halfway through the year. While getting into the swing of the festival season, many critics are reflecting on the albums of the last six months with a view to the end of year lists. ‘Pink Fur,’ debut album by Leeds’ Post war Glamour Girls has been out but four months and could well feature on several of these lists. But already, they’ve moved on. It takes a special kind of band, with considerable balls, to play out of their home-town where they’re assured of a respectable and receptive audience, to play a one-off show that features only two songs from said album in the set, while showcasing a slew of tracks from the next album that they’ve yet to record. On a Monday night. The Monday after Glastonbury, no less. But then, Post war Glamour Girls are a special band, and one with considerable balls.
Before they hit the stage, Hora Douse served up a set of abrasive punk-tinged alt-rock. Singer / guitarist Tom Lee’s wearing a Future of the Left T-Shirt. They kick out a fiery racket and the drummer tells us just how much he’s sweating. Rock ‘n’ roll the way it’s best. Freaks and Geeks start out sounding a bit Deacon Blue, but wind up more Joan Jett: they get more exciting as their set progresses and sound pretty convincing overall.
Post War Glamour Girls always sound convincing. they’re never ones to grow complacent, though, and they’re not going to let their fans peg them in any one place either. In fact, even the most ardent fan is tested by their approach to gigging, with new songs dominating any live set and hard cheese if you’re wanting the singles,the hits or even the songs you’ve heard before. But the flipside of this is that they’re never predictable or tiresome: seeing Post War Glamour Girls live is like discovering a new band every time. And every time, they’ll blow you away.
|
They open in time-honoured fashion with ‘Sestra’ and are on fiery form. James confesses to having sunk a few beers before the show, and is certainly voluble, but the intros and banter only make tonight more special as they work through no fewer than six new songs, including ‘Gustave’, the single due in September and its flipside. The new songs suggest a move toward more conventional song structures, and a more refined sound that’s less geared toward explosive bursts of noise – but that doesn’t mean they’ve lost any of their strength or that they’ve abandoned ay of the elements that rendered them such a unique and appealing proposition in the first instance.
All of the new songs are strong, and any hesitancy on stage doesn’t translate to front of house: each track immediately feels familiar without being predictable. ‘Count Your Blessings’ is one of the highlights, and is a monster pop song.
Written setlist over, they launch into a hard-hitting rendition of ‘Little Land’ and really cut loose before hastily departing in a squall of feedback. It’s an abrupt ending but again reminds us that Post War Glamour Girls never play to expectations – and that’s precisely their appeal.
|
