Live Review
Trampolene
EBGBS, Liverpool
April 18 2018
Words/Pictures: Jane Davies
You know it is going to be a good evening when the headliner has played as support to Liam Gallagher and The Libertines. It’s rock and roll quality assurance of the highest order. This is despite some line-up changes befalling the This Feeling night here at Liverpool's EBGBS, with Haze seeming to have been on the bill, then somehow weren't, and Sophie & The Giants a late pull out ('on doctors orders') to be replaced by The Racket.
But you know you are never in for a duff gig with This Feeling, and The Racket, along with fellow Swansea lads Himalayas, both put in stellar performances with the latter treating us to an airing of their brand new single ‘If I Tell You’. A band definitely on an upward ascent and hotly tipped here on Little Indie.
The impending arrival on stage of rock 'n' roll’s Poet Laureate, Trampolene’s lead singer Jack Jones, is heralded by a recording of ‘Artwork of Youth’, a poem chronicling Jack’s school days and the people he shared them with and their rites of passage into adult life: flirtations with drugs, drink, smoking, love. Jones has a unique ability to build something beautiful out of the mundane. In delicious irony, they then pump out ‘It’s Not Rock and Roll’ when this clearly is a prime example of what r&r should be: full on, sheer exhilaration with bags of audience participation.
There are no crowd barriers, the scene is set and Jack is in there straight away shaking hands, connecting with those filling the room, making it feel like an intimate experience, making the audience feel part of the performance. The song ‘You Do Nothing For Me’ couldn’t be further from the truth. There is so much love in the room for this band. A fan shouts that he loved them opening up for Liam Gallagher in Manchester. The compliment is returned when ‘Alcohol Kiss’ is duly dedicated to them.
A most riotous, raucous and sweaty performance ensues on the hottest day of the year so far. The room is soon bouncing and Jack keeps up a running dialogue with the audience. He ponders on his own genius of writing a song incorporating three Beatles songs: 'Imagine Something Yesterday’. The audience roar their approval as Jack says he loves Liverpool so much he may come and live here and asks if anyone has a sofa he can sleep on - cue a flow of offers, naturally.
A poetic interlude offers light relief as we are treated to the ode to ‘Ketamine’, with its punch line, “Just think of the force... to knock out a horse!” With knowing smiles and amidst much laughter, the audience join in, “I scream, you scream, ketamine!” Latest single ‘Hard Times For Dreamers’ has a welcome outing and has apparently made the Radio One playlist, much to the amusement of the band and audience alike.
The rock and roll debauchery continues culminating in Jack passing his guitar in turn to members of the audience to hold. There is no shortage of volunteers. Amidst the mayhem, the pace is slowed down for ‘Beautiful Pain’ and ‘The Gangway’, gentle songs with poetic, ballad-like quality
Throughout the set the audience have been enthusiastic and have sang along, but do so most noticeably for the former. The set ends with ‘Storm Heaven’ and the crowd are generously thanked for their support. A request is put in for ‘Pound Land’ and the poet duly responds, turning the atmosphere to that of a literary festival. “We love Pound Land, hip hip hooray!”
In our pre-show interview with the band's frontman we had been promised “Spoken words, great rock and roll, lots of interaction, celebration, an escape from the monotony of life.” and Trampolene had duly delivered all of this and left us going home with a spring in our step and a new found love of poetry.
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