Has everyone been keeping an eye on ¡FORWARD, RUSSIA!? Their name came out in the flurry of interest that surrounded Yorkshire in the wake of Kaiser Chiefs and Arctic Monkeys, but they were not to share the chart success of these bands. Their debut album ‘Give Me A Wall’ was by no means instantly accessible, but like most of the great music out there, it grows on you the more and more you listen to it. The live show was always both chaotic and frenetic, but they only place they lacked a little was in the variety.
In the time that they have been away, I have really fallen in love with ¡Forward, Russia!. I used to really like them, but their album wasn’t something I actively dug out. Then I listened to it on one occasion and it all fell into place – fast-paced music that it is hard to put into a genre – the vocals, although often indecipherable, are shrill and really grab you. It’s a sound that could so easily have become formulaic – it’s very unique to them, but it could become tired very quickly. Lucky for us they’re far more innovative than that.
The new tracks that are unleashed this evening are received like old friends by a crowd that by all means and right should be bigger. But perhaps ¡Forward, Russia! are already in the enviable position of having a small but dedicated following. Crowd surfing is rife this evening, something which manages to cause a few problems. Security are absent at the gig and the people flying over the crowd are ending up on the stage, being ferried away by some poor man in an orange t-shirt. By the end of the evening, a couple of ladies have ferried in to help shift the increasing numbers of people spilling onto the stage, despite repeated recommendations not to from the band. It’s all very good natured, though, no-one gets heard and everyone has a fucking brilliant time.
Every single song played tonight sounds like the encore. That is the beauty of the set list – each song builds up to the point where you just can’t imagine them taking it any further. Interim single ‘Don’t Be A Doctor’ is the epitome of this. The word ‘epic’ is bandied around too much these days, but imagine it isn’t and allow me to apply it to this song.
|
Singer Tom Woodhead has become an amazing frontman. He leaps around throughout as if he’s avoiding a straight-jacket – he still screams but he’s coherent now. This band would be nothing if something was removed, though. The drumming is absolutely relentless, but really is the backbone to everything – it seems to guide the speed of everything else. The sound is changeable throughout, turning from really quite mental dance music into instrumentals that would put many metal bands to shame. It’s always loud, and always passionate. It’s a full on spectacle.
Each song also feels like a sermon – they’re played with such conviction, belief and enthusiasm that you are being willingly preached to.
Early singles like ‘Nineteen’ and ‘Twelve’ are of course well received, but there is plenty of room for the new songs to shine, and they do just that. The performance is tight throughout – it’s like they sound on record, but truly brought to life. They close with the last track from the album, ‘Spanish Triangles,’ which is nothing short of mesmerizing. Listening to the album again the next day, the recorded version is nothing on how they end things tonight.
¡Forward, Russia! are well on their way to being one of our most celebrated bands. They have done everything a band should do on their second album – they’ve grown, developed, kept their best bits and become twice the band they were. An hour simply wasn’t enough. They’re not toying with commercial success, but whilst all eyes have been on the chart stars of Yorkshire, ¡Forward, Russia! have snuck away and become the best. If the fanbase is small but dedicated, then I’m proud to be part of the congregation willingly adoring these services.
|
