Curb + Germ + The Scribers, The Bristol Pear, Birmingham 22/11/13
Curb If you ventured to Selly Oak on Friday night, chances are you’ll have been at The Bristol Pear. Sure, it may have taken us a moment to find our way to the stairs, but when we did make it to the gig room, we were treated to the launch night of Greetings From. And what a treat it was.
The Scribers The Scribers were the first band to play the event, and whilst the atmosphere may have been raring and ready, the band themselves fell slightly short of the mark. It seemed like their focus remained elsewhere – the drummer even took a phonecall mid-song – and whilst an impressive feat, that didn’t really make for great showmanship. Still, their energy proved infectious, and as their frontman danced on and off the small stage to their raw, punk-infused songs, they made for an entertaining start to the night.
Germ Germ had no trouble winning over the crowd that gathered around them. Their distinctive slacker-grunge sound is one you’d find hard to fault in any context, and when they’re blasting their tunes from centre-stage is when this group sound their best. From the infectious upbeat rhythms of ‘Soak,’ through the slow and steady riffs of ‘Fairweather,’ to the new material they showcased, this is a band with a unique style and an effortless charm that’s all-but drenched in potential. Captivating the room with seemingly little effort, they’re clearly a band with the strength to go far.
Curb Finally, it was time for Curb – if taking to the stage for their first headline gig (shows in living rooms excluded) was daunting, they certainly didn’t let it show. Opening with new track ‘Katrina,’ the band put on a performance that demonstrated exactly why they’re considered some of the city’s brightest stars. Their new tracks may lack the fondness familiarity provides for now, but there’s no denying their promise. Coupled with old favourites – such as debut demo ‘How Are You Now?’ and crowd favourite ‘Give Me A Light’ – as a tambourine made its way around the audience for a few improvised crowd solos, it was clear that the room was buzzing with love for the four-piece.
Curb After promoting their next single and their next gig (details of the latter can be found here if you’re interested), they launched into their final song – a cover of Cornershop’s ‘Brimful Of Asha’ – and fans launched onto the stage, drawing the set to a magnificently messy (and delightfully dancy) close. Greetings From launched itself with the aim of bringing the best new bands to Selly Oak. I think it’s safe to say that they’re already succeeding. The question that remains, is how are they going to top this now? Photographs by Jonathan Morgan
