Thank's 10th Birthday Party

Featuring: Thank, CLITSPIT, and Solderer 

Wharf Chambers

For all its tongue-in-cheek intent, Thank bandleader Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe’s greeting to their sold-out 10th birthday gig was totally warranted. “We’re Thank, obviously”, the shirted-and-tied vocalist-guitarist jested, drummer Steve Myles scoffing at his cheek. However, his sardonic humour was accurate for those celebrating one of modern leftfield rock’s most influential bands. Without even counting the bands they have helped, gigs they’ve arranged, and the impressive way they’ve flirted with the mainstream while remaining admirably odd, Thank have achieved stunning longevity and artistic ambition.

Before their trademark short set of noise rock bangers, two newer local icons warmed up the already sweltering Wharf Chambers room.

Featuring a refrain that aptly mentioned concrete, Solderer opened with a heavier new track, leaning further into their drone-angled hypnosis. This numbing drone came from the repetition of the lowest possible notes on the bass, played by a familiar face to Thank fans – Freddy himself. There’s also a former member of Thank (Theo Gowans, guitar) and two former members of Beige Palace (Kelly Bishop, vocals, and Ant Bedford, drums). Solderer’s next track, Sanctuary, was much more discombobulating. Theo contorted his arm over the top of the frets, raising the discordance within the Helmet-ish maelstrom and adding visual gore to the sonic, lyrical horror film. Even more than the opener, 'The Bus' prioritises their mighty drone, while the bass creates a melodic prominence, too – partly why Solderer are crushing yet incredibly fun. 'Bog Witch' led to some repartee as hilarious as their sister band, as they discussed the importance of writing about a 'Bog Witch' rather than a 'Forest Witch'. Next, 'Bath' spun on a 'Butthole Surfers' axis at a faster, bewildering pace.

As Wharf Chambers became a humid sweatbox, this sodden writer saw only a handful of Clitspit’s lethally barnstorming set. Thankfully, even a trio of tracks was enough to realise how gloriously authentic their lo-fi punk. Among their most adored songs was 'The Otley Run Massacre', a manic tale buoyed by an atonal, ripping riff. They then played a slick hybrid of leisurely garage rock and rollicking punk about ‘how bad the government is’ – summarising the trio’s ability to keep the ears guessing while keeping up the brilliantly rough careening.

Classic heavy-hitter 'Two Hour Lunch' was followed by the first of Thank’s new tracks to be premiered. 'Q.U.I.N.E'. married the guitar tone and thrashing jam-sesh style of 'Lightning Bolt' with some absurdist lyrics, coming across as a return to early obscurities like 'Petrol Head', albeit in a more immediate form. As with the support acts, their on-the-edge-of-collapse controlled chaos –that was especially present in the new songs – simply provided a quintessential noise rock nature that Thank have always thrived in. The vaguely egg punk yelp of the other debut performance, '62 Cigs', and its bright synths, acted in contrast to the bassy techno synths and hardcore caterwauling they alternated between.

'Paris Syndrome' was sped up to fatal extremes – especially in Cameron Moitt’s grinding staccato bass – to sound like a whimsical 'Napalm Death'. 'Good Boy' was sped up to similarly ridiculous levels, making one of their superior bangers so much greater.

On Writing 'Out A List Of All The Different Names Of God', dervish of octopian drums to compliment Freddy’s syllable-loaded lyrics. Alongside the sheer speed displayed, Steve’s drumming articulates Sepultura levels of heaviness and range; the musician twice as skilfully prominent as a dirge like 'A Social Contract' or the breakneck blast of 'Punching Bag', which ended the night in a fitting one-two; lewd imagery and jet-fuelled choruses. Whether they’re throwing around dense but melodic earworms or silliness about sharing bath water, Thank continue to inspire, never mind putting on infinitely memorable nights of live music.

Words by James Kilkenny (@jameskilk1499). Poster by North or Nowt (@nourth_or_nowt). Pictures by James Mirfield (@jamesmirfieldphoto).