The first gig of the year happened to be at a venue I was aware of but had never visited. Pealie’s Barn is tucked away just north of the middle of nowhere but is well worth the find. It is possibly one of the nicest-smelling venues, with hanging lavender, a working pizza oven and other incense and potions wafting on the breeze. The place has an excellent outside area complete with a stage, yet tonight, due to the cold, we were thankfully inside with a stage that was 8ft in the air, allowing a great view of tonight’s bands. Possibly the most incredible venue I will visit this year, especially with the enthusiastic host.
Opening act was a brand new band currently calling themselves Anachronism. A straight-up indie and covers band who tackled Miles Kane’s ‘Rearranged’ and ‘Miss You’ by the Rolling Stones. The second cover saw the band really get into their stride as they got better and better as their set went on. ‘Miss You’ in particular, saw the vocalist cords warming up nicely to the point where the songs started to take shape, and by the end of the set, he was really in his stride.
However, the thing about the band’s performance was their impressive original tracks that overshadowed the covers. Notably, the final original track they played, ‘Remind Me’, which, like much of the band’s setlist, was made more interesting by the snappy lead guitarist, who did a lot to make the songs sound unique.
For all the brilliance of the band’s original penned tracks, I must admit that the personal highlight was watching the boys take on Rory Gallagher’s ‘Bad Penny’. The singer’s vocals dimmed the lead guitarist on this storming cover, which had woken up on this track, and he belted out the lyrics. Sadly, a broken guitar string meant we were denied the ensuring epic solo.
From a snapped string to a blown-up bass, next up was a Backseat Mafia favourite as Wingz Of The Monkey took to the stage for a slightly less chaotic gig than previously witnessed gigs. The band gets better and better each time I see them. The performance is tighter, and the on-stage confidence is backed by impressive playing completed by Pat’s in-between banter, still wanderingly hilarious.
Tonight we were treated to a glorious rendition of the bands track ‘Stood Up’ a cover of Guns n Roses ‘It’s So Easy’ along with the live stable cover of Fugazi’s ‘I’m So Tired’. ‘Sarcastic Sympathy’ is straight through bluesy and dirty, whilst ‘The Dog’ gets a stomping outing. “Just play it fast”, bassist Logan tells drummer Edward on ‘The Fix’ as singer Pat puts on an impassioned display.
The Wednesday Flowers, an all-female band introduced by Becca, the singer, closed tonight’s proceedings. I was excited about seeing this band, and from the very go, I was not disappointed. They are such a likeable band that has fun on the stage and is backed by a loyal following. Not many bands can claim to have a number one fan with a T-shirt to prove it.
A wandering time-shifting opening to tonight’s setlist, there is a depth to their songwriting with tints of jazz, gothic rock and a pop glaze. They transfix with a cover of Hole’s ‘Celebrity Skin’ then grab hold with the sweetest vocals over rough chords on ‘Suffocating’, a shimmering gothic’ masterpiece. It won’t be long until the audience sings the lyrics to the band. This band may be young, but the maturity on display within their songwriting stands them out as ones to watch.
Original tracks like ‘It’s Not A Dream’ feel like the band found their sound early on, which is proof of future brilliance still to come. ‘Bare Bones Grow Cold’, brings a swooping, jazzy effort where the singer comes out on top. ‘Flatline’ is a slow, grungy pop lullaby with vocals and overdriven guitar perfection. Even the second track written by the band ‘Love Me’ is hugely impressive.
They flirt with a cover of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’; what better song to suit Becca’s crystal voice? They boil the track down to its structural bones before having fun with Fountains Of Wayne’s ‘Stacey’s Mom’, involving some audience participation. The secret weapon is Becca’s voice, helped by the impressive PA system at tonight’s venue, as she cut through the indie-rock, grunge backing from the band.
This is just the start of their domination. Being a relatively new band on the scene, you can see the room for improvement, but the glimpses of what they can become make for an inspiring set. The audiences at these early gigs will be able to say they were there at the beginning of something special. To see The Wednesday Flowers is to fall in love with them.
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