It’s a bitterly cold night in the bleakest phase of the year, when Christmas is long, long past and Spring feels as though it will never arrive. Even found myself thinking twice about turning out to watch four local bands playing, especially as the venue isn’t exactly my favourite. But being confident that the two top acts on the bill would more than justify the effort, I resisted the urge to hibernate, and was pleasantly surprised to see just how many others had made the same decision, and it’s pleasing to see.
SILENT FEARS, up first, deliver a set of alt-rock that’s solid, workmanlike, pie ‘n’ mash: dependable, but with few surprises. SCREEN PEOPLE look like they might have potential, but the set was ruined by a clunky bass sound and some tuning that was seriously off-key.
Not that they need a to follow a ropey act to look god, but following on from the previous acts, the fact that PANDA CUBS are in a completely different league couldn’t have been rendered more keenly apparent. Tonight’s all too brief set confirmed everything I thought when I saw them supporting The Twilight Sad in November, and to say that they’re a band who are set to go places would be an understatement. Melding guitars and synths to mine the seam of dark-edged new-wave inspired music that can be traced via a lineage from Joy Division via Interpol and Editors to White Lies, there are two things that distinguish Panda Cubs from the vast majority of bands. First,they have some great songs: perfectly crafted, balancing dark tension with memorable hooks, their sound is at once atmospheric and accessible. Secondly, they perform with an air of confidence, focused energy and remarkable poise. Filling the compact stage at Fibbers, they look like they’d be at home in venues ten times the size.
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ALVIN PURPLE, too, are a band who simply don’t fit the ‘local’ stereotype. Put simply, they ooze class and quality, and they’ve got their sound absolutely nailed tonight for the launch of their second single, the double A-side ‘Uh-Her’ / ‘Please Please’ (the latter of which is my pick of the two, although ‘Uh-Her’ us a concise stab of catchy pop rock that pisses all over anything you’ll hear in the charts this year). Crisp and tight, they’re polished without being clinical, and the chunky bass sound really drives, providing the perfect foil for Carly’s smooth and sassy vocal delivery. It’s a solid set, bookended by the two songs that formed their double-A side debut: ‘Stare to Declare’ is a killer take on atmospheric new wave rock, while closer ‘The Look’ drives the point home emphatically with a gritty yet infectiously funky bass riff.
The verdict: top drawer stuff and well worth braving the cold for.
Alvin Purple Online
Panda Cubs Online
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