Live
The Clause + Slow Time Mondays + Planespotting + Wave Chase
The Hope & Ruin, Brighton
February 1 2020
Words/Pictures: Steve Willcox
This Brighton show from promoter This Feeling is not one of their 'Big in 2020' dates, but could easily have been given the standard of the night's four acts.
The sold out gig first welcomes Bournemouth indie four-piece Wave Chase to the stage, delivering early evidence of things to come tonight with the song ‘Walk The Walk’ that makes the whole floor shake with its infectious beat and heady rhythm, sounding a bit like Vampire Weekend's ‘A-Punk’. ‘Clean Bowled’ has everyone singing, while latest single ‘Talk Tonight’ with vocalist George Kingman's chorus filling the room as guitarist Mickey Golicher plays down amongst the audience. They close the set with 'Fangs’, but not before getting everyone to lay low and bounce up like a coiled spring to its rhythmic beats.
Singer/songwriter Teddy Riley’s project Planespotting hail from the same town as Wave Chase. Only playing together for a year, this four-piece combine Eastern melodies and indie/jazz beats with spoken word delivery. Starting with ‘By Myself (Nothing 4 Me)', guitarist Christian Conti provides catchy hooks while Ted’s vocals trip off the tongue, not unlike their Portsmouth cousins Rhythm Method, but without the political scathing. Debut single ‘Superfan’ has Teddy behind his keyboard with a comedic take of obsession and fandom, while set highlight ‘Your Cards’ showcases its fast funky guitar riffs alongside Daniel Tofangsazan’s thumping basslines.
Ending with ‘I Wanna Fire From The Hip’, the furious drumming of Joey Taylor-Dodd gets the floor dancing. It’ll be interesting to see what these guys do next.
Slow Time Mondays have brought along a huge following tonight grom up the road in Crawley to support them and their indie/ska - and it’s easy to see why with their set opener ‘Everybody Else’ which takes some by surprise with it’s catchy chorus sung by Billy Morgan. Visually looking like they belong in a new Mod band is matched with ability to turn a tune and ‘Feel This Way’ does that with guitarist Charlie Wright finding the perfect hook, and lyricist and drummer Joe Morgan’s rhythm pushes it through. Latest single ‘She Likes Dancing’ has the crowd dancing in time to Ryan Scope’s bass chords till its final end.
After signing a record deal with Universal late last year, Birmingham's The Clause are on a high. As they climb onto the stage with Samuel L. Jackson’s “Great Vengeance” speech from Pulp Fiction spewing out of the speakers, you can see this four-piece are going well and truly upwards. Starting with ‘Tokyo’ with its beat pounding away by drummer Niall Fennell has the room pulsing as the crowd gets behind the band, as vocalist Pearce McMenamin entertains with his melodic delivery.
Highlight, ‘Hate The Player’, turns back the clock to the 1980s synth days with Liam Deakin providing soaring guitar licks throughout. There's plenty of reverb on ‘Dig This Beat’ and puts a rockier edge to the song, before the moodier ‘Viva La Revolution’ comes in, with Jonny Fyffe’s bass kicking in. The band's 2016 debut single ‘Shut Me Out’ gets the crowd moving, built as it is on unmistakable guitar riffs.
Newly recorded and possibly future single according to the lads ‘We're Not Here To Take Part' is played live and welcomed warmly by the dancing crowd. ‘Where Are You Now’ changes into slow gear with a moving ballad interspersed with haunting guitars. Streaming favourite ‘Sixteen’ delivers a more upbeat tempo and the last song of the evening and also their latest single, ‘In My Element’, connects with the by now moshing crowd; bluesy guitar riffs and driven bass making the floor vibrate alongside techno keys and heavy drums.
This was the first time in Brighton for The Clause. But to paraphrase what someone else once said, they'll be back.
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