Wolf Alice + Jaws + The Bombergs + Sugar, The Victoria, Birmingham 31/05/13
Wolf Alice Wolf Alice have been stirring up an underground blogger-generated buzz for a long time now, and it’s no surprise why. This intimate gig was a whistle-stop tour of grungy vocals, tropical riffs and patterned shirts. The first of the long string of local support acts for this sell-out Counteract and Birmingham Promoters show came from Sugar. They’re a youthfully vibrant four piece that make up part of the next generation of the ever expanding Birmingham music scene.
Sugar Having arguably one of the best sets of the evening, their psychedelically tinged and euphoric energy flowed throughout the venue. Sugar showed that musically they’re well beyond their years as they focused more on their music as opposed to any crowd interaction, linking their set seamlessly together. Taking things in a slightly heavier direction, Birmingham’s own The Bombergs crashed onto the stage.
The Bombergs A seemingly quirky stage appearance only added to the enigma that surrounds the band. ‘Soft’ displayed the technical control that The Bombergs have over their sound, reigning it in to add to their repetitive vocal clarity before unleashing perfectly timed punk lashings (musical, of course) on the audience. Front man Rick Wellings even descended to laying on the stage floor towards the end of their set in a decidedly punk fashion. The Bombergs are certainly not a band to be missed live. The last display of B-Town talent came from local favourite Jaws as they made their appearance to a multitude of fans. Often compared with the likes of Peace and Swim Deep- Jaws’ clean and laid back riffs filled the packed out venue with sounds of summer. Their polished sound glimmered on stage, showing that they have all the right elements to take them up and beyond any other surfer-esque indie pop band.
Jaws It was clear that they absolutely loved being on stage, having the majority of the crowd mouthing their lyrics back to them as they graduated through catchy song after catchy song. When it was finally time for Wolf Alice to take to the stage the venue was filled to bursting as every gig goer craned to catch sight of arguably one of London’s most talented bands.
Wolf Alice This set really showed the variety that the four-piece manage to achieve musically. They drifted through trippy hooks with swaying vocals to mesmerise the crowd before bursting into the likes of more in-your-face favourites such as recently released single ‘Bros’. As the band got into full swing, Roswell’s delicately versatile vocals crashed against the band’s powerful percussion and smooth basslines. Wolf Alice’s minimalistic and understated grungy style was an absolute winner with the Birmingham crowd and we can’t wait to have them back here again. Photographs by Amy Mackrill.
