How much would you think it would cost for the opportunity to watch 5 good local bands in one of the best music venues in Yorkshire?
£2.20 with my e-ticket booked in advance. Tickets were still only £4 on the door. My pint cost more than that. As did my bus home. It was a bargain and it showed with the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds being nearly packed on a freezing Sunday night.
Firstly I must apologise to the first band Grawlix as I missed their set completely. Judging by seeing the attendance steadily grow I dare say I wasn’t the only one. From listening to them online it also shows that the bands got steadily heavier throughout the night.
The next band Bruising seemed a bit flat. I could not hear a word the female singer/guitarist was singing. The vocals were meant to be soft but the balance was not right. The main problem seemed to be the fact that the other guitarist would ask the sound guy to make him louder as well as asking for more bass.
Middle of the bill were Colours of Spring. This was a band with potential and had a dash of the Cribs in their sound and the frontman’s mannerisms. They are also clearly influenced by bands like My Bloody Valentine.
Seize the Chair
The most impressive band were Seize the Chair. Fresh from the experience of supporting Drenge at the same venue a couple of weeks previously. They included touring member of Menace Beach Nick Chantler. In Menace Beach he is in additional guitarist. However, it is here he really came to the fore. With time, Seize the Chair could be mentioned in the same breath as bands like Drenge and Royal Blood. They have a rocky sound but would not be alienating to a more mainstream audience. There was also a bit of repetitive synth-playing that gave a new dimension to a bill full of guitars. The highlight was definitely ‘I Just Want To Sleep’ which you can listen to below. Fast, frenetic and full of catchy riffs. Expect to hear more about this Sheffield band in 2015.
Menace Beach
The headliners were Menace Beach. There has been a lot of hype due to being affiliated with Matt “MJ” Johnson of Hookworms, Rob Lee of Pulled Apart by Horses and Nestor Matthews of Sky Larkin. There has also been favourable reviews from NME and BBC 6music of their debut album ‘Ratworld’. This was a gig celebrating the release. There was very little gap between each song in their quick set. There is a mix of 90’s Indie styles and the band manage to sound fuzzy and dreamy at the same time. Grunge & shoegaze are two buzzwords of the 90’s that will inevitably be mentioned. This doesn’t really do them justice and songs like ‘Tastes Like Medicine’ and ‘Tennis Court’ stand out in their own right. However, unlike some of their influences the music has an upbeat and positive side. It will be interesting to be how their sound develops.
Around the World in 80 Bands 