Live Review :: Declan Welsh and the Decadent West :: Komedia Studio, Brighton - Jun 16 2019

Live 

Declan Welsh and the Decadent West / Youth Sector

Komedia Studio, Brighton

June 16 2019

Words/Pictures: Steve Willcox

It's Father’s Day Sunday, and the fact that the Komedia Studio is less than full may be a reason, as offspring take their aged Ps out for a meal or celebrate at home rather than rockin' up at a gig. Declan Welsh and The Decadent West, who are fresh from playing in front of 1000+ people at the Isle of Wight festival the day before, certainly warrants a full room.

Warming up the evening are local Brighton alt-rockers Youth Sector. This five-piece have recently been out supporting The Kicklips and Ninth Wave, and if the band were at all affected by a low turnout, it didn’t show.

Starting with ‘Tonight’, you could feel the energy in the air as the guitars ripped through, and the 80s quirky synth sounds filled the room. If you think B52s meeting Skids with a pinch of Simple Minds thrown in, you'll get a flavour of the sound. Charismatic vocalist Nick Tompkins gesticulates his lyrics, while Harvey Dent tweaks those synths in the background looking like a reborn Ian Curtis on an acid trip.

New single ‘Renting Spaces In My World’ is an infectious little number with a killer hook, while previous release ‘Run’ slows down the pace, before they end the set with ‘Dig It and Repeat’, bringing the dancing heels out, as the floor grooves to its final beats.

Arriving from the back of the venue, The Decadent West climb up onto the stage, with their main man, songwriter and poet, Declan Welsh, joining them soon after. Launching off with new single ‘No Fun’, its energy holds the room, setting the pace for these Glasgow lads as they produce the perfect indie pop song - with scathing political bite. ‘Shiny Toys’ has Duncan McBride’s guitar riff introducing Declan’s sublime sung poetry about growing wiser and old friends who choose to remain ignorant.

‘Lull’ picks up a disco beat with spoken word Glaswegian vocals intertwined with soaring guitars, while last single ‘Absurd’ is politically animated with the penetrating pumping bass of Ben Corlett hitting those low notes, with Declan’s scathing lyrics making their point.

After a brief introduction of the issues in Palestine (where Declan has played, accompanied by an orchestra of child refugees), the protest song of ‘Different Strokes’ gets its airing with some thought-provoking wordplay alongside a pop-beat. ‘So It Goes’ has energy to it with new boy Murray Noble drumming his heart out to the lyrics of: “When they capture you / they're gonna put you in a zoo / and when you ask 'Why me? / They'll have no answer for you.“

‘No Pasaran’ is an unapologetic rally cry derived from the Spanish Civil War, but in this instance it’s a blistering war-cry against intolerance, xenophobia and homophobia, with a backdrop of furious guitars and hard-hitting drums. Closing with the rebel rousing ‘Times’, it gets the crowd moving with its progressive beats as they unite against the hypocrisy of this new world order.

Tonight's show was one of those gigs that stands out, despite the lack of bodies in the room; not impacting on the atmosphere on and off stage as both acts gave it their all. And who could ask for more than that?