Reasons to be Cheerful
Seriously..? Three..? For a fiver..?
Maybe that’s why it’s called 'Reasons To Be Cheerful'? It’s certainly reason enough for me to deck myself out in new boots and panties* (Ian Dury reference; you know – Baxter’s dad) and head over to one of the STUB stockist; Hyde Park Book Club.
Bela Spit had originally been billed as openers for Vol. 1 but a last-minute change meant a solo performance from James Shakeshaft kicked off proceedings. Having recently attended the ‘Ragged Ornaments’ album launch show at Mabgate Bleach it was good to hear the songs treated to a different arrangement and proof that there’s some serious song-writing behind the tunes. A couple of new tracks got an airing and it’s fair to say they were as sharp as the crease in his vintage Farahs, which bodes well for the next studio output.
Following James were Shaene who I’d caught a wee while back at the Crash Records football shirt launch gig at Oporto and been very impressed; so the opportunity to see them play again was definitely welcome. There’s an epic range to their sound, at points delicate and dreamy with a Cocteau Twins style sparkle, at others intense and full of rage. They’re a band who are not short of lyrical subject matter as is laid bare on the brutally raw and emotionally charged ‘Snot’ - performed solo by frontwoman Shaene in a way that reminded me of Elliott Smith’s stripped back recordings. The band’s socials describe themselves as “lo-fi/emo” which maybe needs revising as there is nothing lo-fi about their sound and their songs encompass a much broader territory than a single genre.
By the time elwell took to the stage the basement was rammed; with a buzz of anticipation and excitement in the air and among the assembled masses who were definitely up for this gig. Great to see promoter Connal getting the “kingpin” recognition he deserves from the stage for the effort he puts into the music scene of the motorway city. On a similar theme direct shout outs to the artists who designed the merch and EP cover is one of the coolest flipping things I’ve seen a band do for a long time – Cool kids give credit as they say!
There’s a wonderfully angular, youthful, northern energy about the band; especially on the numbers featured on the recently released 'Go Faster' EP; with singer Spike snarling the words into the microphone. Nothing is wasted, superfluous or extraneous – short, sharp, driven songs, straight to the point and then on to the next one; rattling them out to the delight of the audience who are by now pushed up to the front of the stage and generating enough heat to boil a kettle. Do yourself a favour and seek out an opportunity to see these lads before they’re playing on stages with a security barrier and bag searches and ten quid pints of watery lager – as the song title says they’re “One To Watch”.
Reasons To Be Cheerful is going to be a regular night, and the standards have been set high with the inaugural iteration; keep an eye out on HPBC’s socials for details of the next one as I get the feeling they will continue to deliver high-quality curated line-ups.
*And in the spirit of full disclosure while the footwear was fresh the underwear was most definitely underwhelming.
Words and Picture by Rusty Li.
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