Author Note: In the time it has taken me to piece this review together, neiman. have gone on to change their name to ‘Lorelai‘. This review still refers to the band with their previous title, but if you’re interested in the outfit (and you really should be), you can keep up to date with them in under their new title. Happy reading! – Ryan
We live in a world that is normalising £100+ for the opportunity to see your favourite musicians perform live from terrible seats with 40,000 other people. How about instead you spend £7, visit your local live legendary music venue, and behold phenomenal and fresh acts like Safest Spaces?
August 23rd marked the start of International Beatleweek, a celebration of all things regarding Liverpool’s most famous sons every aspect of the music culture in the city contains at least a small amount of their influence. Even at a riotous hardcore punk gig in the basement of a bar on Slater Street.
62 years ago, The Jacaranda played host to their first ever concert as ‘The Beatles‘, and for the legendary venue, they’ve refused to let themselves be blinded by nostalgia and have continued to ensure the grassroots of the city and beyond has a place to grow. From recent acoustic sets for upcoming bigger names, to providing a platform for LIPA graduates, you can guaruntee The Jacaranda is hard at work doing the most it can.
One such concert was the recent headliner from Northamptom/Milton Keynes based four-piece Safest Spaces, packing a stacked line-up featuring local acts Character Development and Danger Dog, alongside Manchester emo rockers neiman.. Sometimes, it’s easy to feel as though Liverpool has neglected its heavier alternative community, in favour of a brighter indie pop style (which is just as deserving of a place to thrive, I may add). However, on nights like this, it’s clear that the gothic and hardcore underbelly of the Liverpool music scene is alive and kicking.
In a small basement beneath the packed dance floors of Slater Street’s crammed Saturday night bars, a steady flow of people began to fill the room up before a single band had taken to the stage. Stickers of various performers at the venue can be spotted around the building; Character Development had already their band known on the mirror of the men’s bathroom, whilst local alt-pop singer songwriter Bella Wright had managed to get a sticker positioned in the rafters of the basement itself. There was no barrier to be seen, promising an intimate and frantic evening of grassroots music.
Proper rock and roll was the first course of the evening, with the opening performance from self-proclaimed ‘dirty dingy grungy’ blues rock four-piece Character Development. It’s an unexpected start to the night, with those blues rock vibes perhaps seeming a strange choice for a night with emo and skramz outfits, but it quickly became clear why Character Development deserved their place on this superb line-up; the band possesses a charisma and confidence that is deeply infectious to watch.
The energy throughout is kept high, with members of the outfit engaging in playful back and forth between themselves and the audience, both during and between performances; the atmosphere is warm and inviting, guiding listeners into the raucous world of Character Development. Of course, with a refrain of ‘Fuck the Tories‘, the band’s latest single ‘REVOLUTIONARY‘ goes down a treat with the Liverpool crowd, capturing both the anger of the masses, and the spirited optimism of those fighting back.
With an EP coming out soon, Character Development carry the mark of a band that larger acts will be clamouring for to get their gigs well and truly kicked off on the perfect note.
Just like the city of Liverpool itself, the recent alternative wave is one that carries the spirit of community high. An appearance from Crawlers vocalist Holly Minto, engaging with fellow musicians in the audience, is genuinely wonderful to see even with their success, with a headline show at the Invisible Wind Factory coming up fast, Crawlers are there to support musicians of all levels in their community.
Enigmatic emo outfit neiman. were up next. Absent from Spotify in protest of CEO Daniel Ek’s investment in German defence startup Helsing, and with little to no social media presence, this was the three-piece’s first concert since 2019. Vocalist Tom Massey cuts a quiet but commanding presence, their performance one that swings between gentle vulnerability and brutal rawness, whilst drummer Mia Hughes is a genuine joy to watch; it’s clear that this concert was an important moment for them, delivering every fill and beat with an explosive, palpable passion that easily sucks you in.
The outfit go on to deliver a truly beguiling performance (although make it clear that one of their heavier tracks ‘Teeth‘ will not be on the menu), and by the time they have left the stage, have managed to present themselves as one of the most exciting emo acts out there. Whilst some of the members remain busy with their hardcore punk act Inflicter, one can only hope there will be room for neiman.’s truly gorgeous emo sounds too.
With the exception of one or two technical hitches, the event moves smoothly. It takes a little while until act three can commence their performance, due to nefarious technical gremlins (a creature many concert-goers and performers are surely well acquainted with) messing with the equipment. However, the wait is more than worth it, because the following performance from Danger Dog established the outfit as one of the most exciting working their way through the ranks.
Having managed to catch the band during their support of Shefu, I already knew I would be in for a treat, but this performance felt like a major progression in every way for the four-piece. That fantastic chemistry that is possessed between the band members felt even more palpable, Danger Dog radiating a distinct joyfulness that makes their performance feel more like a celebration than anything else.
From its opening noodling riff, the band’s debut single ‘Big Z Surf Memorial‘ goes down a storm with the audience. Vocalist Harry Hemming sounds a little like Jordan Dryer as they hit their lower vocal tones before launching into brilliantly discordant emo screams. A Pokémon card booster pack opening acts as ‘light entertainment’ as the band switches instruments; Flittle is disparaged as being ‘shit’, and it’s clear some members of the band haven’t kept up with all 1000+ of the creatures. A disappointment, but fortunately the music is so bloody good it makes up for it.
One of the band’s unreleased tracks culminates in a genuinely incredible climax featuring a trumpet accompaniment from Eli Younger, one half of Massachusetts-based The Attic; the crowd sing along to the melody, as if they’ve heard it a thousand times before, inducing goosebumps upon everyone in a five mile radius, I’m certain. The band close out their set with their latest single, the melancholic emo anthem ‘What If We Get Sick Of Each Other?‘, which I reviewed here; as suspected, it was the perfect anthem for a sweaty basement.
One thing is clear; Danger Dog not only deserve a headline set, but require one. A band that feels essential in this local scene.
Finally, it was time for the headline event; surprisingly, many in the room had yet to listen to the music made by Safest Spaces. Sitting somewhere between hardcore and emo, the outfit recently released their latest EP on cassette, entitled ‘Messy Songs, Messy People‘, which was split across two releases on Spotify. Their raw, vulnerable way of songwriting is incredible compelling to listen to, and lends itself to a particularly incendiary live performance.
It didn’t matter as to whether you had heard Safest Spaces before or not; between the songs and explosive stage presence, with microphones being thrust out into the audience for them to embrace the songs and sing-along should they know the lyrics, Safest Spaces did something incredibly important that many larger acts still have yet to figure out how to do; they made the audience feel like a community.
Vocalist Dru Lintott is an intense presence to behold, consuming the stage with a passionate, frantic performance that sucks you in. The newer releases such as ‘Leaving The House Again‘ and ‘Sunflower‘ are performed with a furious emotive weight, as Lintott restlessly moves from one point of the stage to another, before plunging into the audience. Stripped back tracks such as ‘Proud‘ place the vocalist behind an acoustic guitar, but none of that stage presence is lost; that deep humanity in the lyricism of the band translates across powerfully.
The band go on to close out the set with a celebration of their back catalogue, including a playthrough of their self-titled EP, both a guided tour for new fans, and a gift for long-time listeners of the band. The chemistry between the band members makes the set electrifying throughout, with Lintott delving into the importance of his friendship with guitarist Jake Taylor, whilst celebrating the band’s new comers, bassist Owain Ritchie and drummer Dan Church. This new era for the band promises to be an important one, and that’s not just for them, but for the DIY hardcore scene of the UK, one that is being brought to life by a community of musicians and artists who see the importance in creativity.
The rebellious spirit of creativity. From revolutionising rock and roll with The Beatles (as safe as they may seem by modern standards), to the frontiers of the UK punk scene, The Jacaranda has been there throughout, fostering a safe space for bands like Safest Spaces to deliver their message and art. And when phenomenal line-ups like this one are allowed to be brought together, everyone in the scene benefits.
We talk about how expensive concerts are today, and there is some truth in that. But that grassroots I keep talking about? Seek there, and you shall find magical performances. For £7, I was given four performances inspiring enough to ramble on for this long; that has to count for something, right?
Featured photo credit: @arbrose_
Follow the acts on social media below:
Character Development
Instagram // Spotify // Twitter
Lorelai (neiman.)
Danger Dog
Instagram // Spotify // Bandcamp
Safest Spaces
VINYL FANTASY REVIEWS 
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