Flood of Red may look a bit of an odd collective – burly, bearded guitarists with tattoos stand beside a singer and keyboardist who look like they’ve just got off work in the office: the singer’s roundnecked sweater is particularly incongruous, because they sound infinitely better than they look. The Glaswegian fivesome have been busting their balls on this tour supporting Leicester’s finest, Maybeshwill, and it’s evident that the time on the road has turned them into a finely-tuned riff machine.
Thanks to two guitars and some five-ring bass action and some sturdy drumming, they kick out a pretty hefty noise: while showing some post-rock stylings, they blast into some unexpectedly heavy sections, the sent culminating in the singer, keyboardist and guitarist all screaming their lungs out against some tumultuous riffage.
Maybeshewill, too, are finely honed in the way that only extensive touring brings. Tonight is their 54th show out of a gruelling 62 dates promoting their latest offering, ‘Fair Youth’. Far from looking tired or jaded, they play with as much, if not more energy than I’ve seen (and I’ve probably seen them half a dozen times in the last five or six years).
While the impetus of instrumental post-rock as a genre has slowed a little of late, Maybeshewill can be seen to have ascended to a position alongside significant names like Explosions in the Sky and Vessels, on account not only of their longevity but by virtue of being extremely good at that they do. Moreover, they’re not so much a post-rock band as a rock band without a singer: they riff as hard as you like, but of course also offer something more cerebral than your standard template rock act.
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It’s not surprising that around a third of their set is culled from the latest album, which arguably represents heir strongest work to date, although I personally don’t watch a band like Maybeshewill for specific tracks: it’s all about the overall experience, the way they build the set and transition between moods, and it’s in this department that they excel.
Moreover, favouring major keys and some chunky power chords over uptempo rhythms, they’re a band you can happily get lost in – and the lively contingent from Hull who are going crackers down the front clearly spend the show doing just that. In fact, that they can pull such a decent crowd during the season of works Christmas nights out and all the rest is testament to the band’s appeal, and really, they’re way better than any team night out.
After a strong encore that wraps up a set brimming with energy, there’s no question that Maybeshewill are a band on top of their game.
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