Live Review
Two Skies / Weatherbird / The SSS / SEER
Various venues, London
February 27/28 2014
Words/Photos: Linn Branson
With there always being a wealth of good gigs going on in the capital every night of the week, on two of such nights last week four artists that we have been interested in at Little Indie were in town playing at different venues.
First was Two Skies (photo above) playing at Water Rats in King's Cross. The trio, from Sheffield, play a loud psych rock style, that wavers on the fringes of shoegaze intermittently. Part Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, part Exit Calm; not too surprising perhaps with the latter given that vocalist Dan Cutts (looking like a latterday Lemmy, minus the facial eruptions) formerly fronted the outfit that were to go on to become Exit Calm, Lyca Sleep. Three of tonight's setlist tracks, '(In Flight) Hyperventilation', 'Motorway', 'Tonight', come from their new EP out later this month, with the latter indeed sounding eerily like early Calm. Floating vocals soar over psychedelic-d, bass heavy numbers, with both 'Motorway' and 'Tonight' showing some nice riffs and melodies.
Over at Proud in Camden, a lively young bunch midway through a UK tour called Weatherbird were taking to the stage. This venue never quite manages to cut it on atmosphere, and despite the Shropshire four-piece providing a good set, the heat level never gets much above zero. Loud, young with attitude, vocalist Jacob Ball calls for some dancing as they head into 'I'm So Awake', which is more than the audience seem to be, remaining firmly in their seats. New single 'Where Eye Wanna Be', driven by some big power chords, that's like a grungier version of The Strypes, shows off Ball's fine pair of lungs, and next scheduled release 'King Gluttony' is rife with strident riffs and blistering guitar. A band who deserve better than this lack-lustre crowd here.
It was a return to Sheffield on Friday night with the five-piece outfit The SSS making their London debut at The Hope & Anchor. Having been the first writer to discover this band in the depths of last winter after a steer from former Violet May's Chris McClure, and had demos dropped in my inbox by the band periodically, it was nice to finally get an opportunity to see what they could do in a live context. Their seven-song set includes the dark and gritty riffs of 'Snake In The Grass' which first caught our attention early last year, together with a more recent offering, 'I Now Pronounce You'. Both display an immediacy that seems to translate as well down south as it does back home 'oop north. Catchy tunes and an engaging frontman in Josh Coddington, who is both cheeky chappy and all-round wit (at one point jokes about 'Susan, Do The Rumble' being about drummer Max Smith's 'well fit' mum), that lends a good-humoured vibe to a band that are worth catching before they make it big, which all being justified, they should.
Another making the night a first was new band SEER, making their live debut at King's in Islington. All hair and guitars and a vocal that can almost make your ears bleed, there was little known about them before - and little more after this night. Seemingly a trio - vocalist/guitarist Rhys, drummer Pete and Alexandra on bass - they pitch up as a drum n guitar duo for this last-minute show. You sort of know what kind of music might be forthcoming even if you had never seen them before by Pearl Jam belting out of the speakers before they take to the stage, and when they do it's with a hair and grunge look that indicates that this ain't gonna be no acoustic folk session. Rhys wails and pitches his vocal at a level that could probably have been heard halfway down the Essex Road - even without amplification. Having heard their as yet only online track 'Beats Me' just a few days before, it is immediately recognisable with its storming intro chords, and should set SEER up as an outfit to take note of. As a duo they appear not as engaging probably as having an additional personage on stage with them would be. But there's enough there to whet the appetite for more. With earplugs a prerequisite.
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