Live
FEET
Patterns, Brighton
October 26 2019
Words/Pictures: Steve Willcox
When the five-man, ten-footed FEET were in Brighton town back in May for The Great Escape they brought tropical shirts and bouncy vibes to the seafront's rammed and sticky tent. This time around there's less clement weather, but Coventry’s Black Country wrong-un’s - who are here promoting their new album, ‘What’s Inside Is More Than Just Ham’ - still bring the same quality of infectious and energetic eagerness to bear.
The strains of Barry White's ‘It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me‘ introduces FEET to the stage and already everyone is in the mood for tonight’s rampage. Starting off the set with the jangly ‘English Weather’. This first single from the album gets the room pulsating; the crowd jumping in time to vocalist George (Jeep) Haverson’s lingering Madchester tones that weaves in and out of the trippy guitar hooks.
‘Hot Dog’ begins with Jeep who is dressed in a bright yellow smiley face t-shirt, banging the tambourine on his head as the beats start and Callum (Rains) Parker’s guitar drives the room to jump in time to its rhythmic chords.
Before the start of ‘Ad Blue’, the frontman drawls, “hope you’ve brought your dancing shoes along tonight and throw us some shapes." As as the bass of Oli Shasha drops to the sound of Yello’s ‘Oh Yeah’ in the background, this young audience doesn't need asking twice, bouncing up to the rafters with arms aloft, feet moving on the floor, as others take to shoulder surfing.
The ragged rock 'n' roll of ‘Dog Walking’ has Jeep close to the edge of the barriers pulling the crowd in even closer, as Harry Southerton’s lead guitar creates melodic hooks for the room to get its teeth into. ‘Wiggy Pop’ with its slow beats and haunting guitars all bathed in a delicious purple light has Jeep gyrating provocatively to the front row as he hollers "I'm just taking the piss / Having a laugh"; while ‘Good Richard’s Crash Landing’ creates a frenzy of a mosh with the Charlatan-esque beats of drummer Ben Firth (formerly with Dead Pretties) and soaring guitars.
2017 fan favourite ‘Petty Thieving’ is the band's new single that’s recently been re-recorded for Clapped Records, and has the room animated to its fast paced lively guitars and pulsating beats, with Jeep whipping up the room. Ending with rabidly fast ‘Outer Rim’ brings the crowd out in vocal force to shouts back the chorus ‘oi!’ to the band, as they use the last of their energy like a high octane rocket to its climatic end.
Brilliant stuff. Folks in Texas at SXSW next year are in for one hell of a ride.
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