You never know what you’re going to get when you shop locally for concerts. Maybe you’ll get an upcoming support act with a collection of alternative rock bangers. Maybe a headliner with no released songs, but a magical live set. You can never be certain. It’s a £10 gamble.
And it can be a lot of fun.
Hosted by The Future Sound Project, March 19th was a showcase of five stylistically different upcoming bands from the north of England, four of which were based in Merseyside. Concertgoers were treated to sets from some of the most promising outfits at the very start of their careers, with headlining band HasHinders yet to officially release a song. Relying purely on their musical talents and stage presence, this was an important opportunity for all involved to introduce themselves to potentially an audience entirely of newcomers to their music.
The first of the evening’s five acts came in the form of West Yorkshire four-piece Don’t Watch The News. Their musical heritage is clear, thanks to their fast-paced and punchy indie rock sound; just reckless enough to have some bite, just polished enough to make them feel truly engaging to watch. The audience evidently agreed; initially standoffish, they’re coaxed forwards easily thanks to the band’s contagious enthusiasm, energy, and charisma.
Infectious lead guitar melodies are backed by a rambunctious, bouncing rhythm section, whilst the vocalist carries himself with a distinct indie swagger plucked right from its 00’s heyday. The band’s bassist in particular is a lot of fun to watch, performing with evident enthusiasm and passion, and drawing the audience in with charming banter.
Despite being early in their careers, it’s clear some already know Don’t Watch The News’s tunes, with their debut single going down particularly well. There’s a real likeable nature about this band that accompanies their accomplished performance and impressive stage presence; it’s a formula that could very easily lead them to far bigger stages. Certainly, they’re a band worth keeping a close eye on.
Quickly becoming cult favourites on the Merseyside scene, Maggie Witch sought to bring some gritty blues rock to the night’s proceedings, with a sound composed of huge riffs, huge vocals, and huge swagger. The band kicked things off with ‘Got a Couple Itches’, a track that set up the rest of their set perfectly thanks to its simply explosive nature, packing a brilliant tempo change in the back half.
Any uncertainty from the audience rapidly dissipates as the jagged, catchy riffs of ‘No. 1 in Nashville’ crashes down on them. It’s a dirty and gritty sound, a Cadillac ride in the Nevada desert with a bong in the back seat; the performance only ramps up in intensity as the band settle into proceedings, capturing the imagination and attention of the audience.
Their vocalist has a real raw potential that is difficult to find, a natural talent as a performer that combines both stellar stage presence with some genuinely insane vocal skills; it’s hard not to imagine them becoming one of the finest around.
The band weave through a handful of other tracks, including a blistering cover of ‘Careless Whisper’, and the 12 bar blues tinged ‘Fun’, which brings some surprising post-punk vibes to proceedings, certain to appeal to fans of the likes of Panic Shack and Gen and the Degenerates. You already might have been seeing the name plenty, but get ready to start seeing it everywhere; Maggie Witch are one of the most exciting new Merseyside acts for a reason.
The third act of the evening arrived in the form of Puppet Show. The five-piece arrived for their first show with new member Kellan Poole, handling synth duties for the new wave outfit, and were greeted with a tricky audience to handle. With an expansive and challenging sound, Puppet Show had to showcase their unique musical ideas to an uncertain audience within the span of only 30 minutes or so.
The band explored their sprawling musical palette with track such as ‘Solid Gold’ and ‘The Great Escape’, showcasing fuzzy riffs, groovy bass lines, bright synth lines, and unconventional song structures. The former of these tracks in particular packed a particularly brilliant instrumental break.
Finally, by the band’s untitled fourth track, it lands with the audience, who almost unconsciously begin to find themselves moving with the music. Spoken word verses collide with immense choruses, buoyed by sick bass lines and a spiralling bridge segment, all of it performed with a clear enthusiasm; this is a track the band evidently enjoy playing, and they seemed energised by the audience finally giving something back to them.
Closing things off with their track ‘Berlin’, it’s ultimately a triumph for Puppet Show, showcasing a band letting their music and charisma speak for themselves, and winning over an audience that at first seemed unwilling to step forwards into the band’s world. With a sound that sits comfortably in a valley between post-punk revival and indie rock, whilst including some exciting elements of new wave and funk, Puppet Show are very relevant band that are absolutely worth a listen.
Arriving as the fourth act in the evening might have proved a challenge for some. There’s a risk of an audience losing whatever energy they have picked up, or not meeting the standards that have been set before you. However, for Paint Me In Colour, this proved to be a celebratory affair.
The set was cracked open with an immense percussion-fronted instrumental, layered with a prerecorded speech. It’s an unexpected and grandiose opening for the band, immediately snatching the attention of the entire audience with their huge sound and energised stage presence. From here, the band launch into their track ‘Ugly’, which pops with an infectious bounce that snakes through the audience; pockets begin to dance, starting at the front of the crowd, and carving through to the back, compelled by the band’s electrifying performance.
It’s clear that Paint Me In Colour can sense this, and as the band vault into ‘Pity Me’, their confidence begins to truly bloom. There is an infectious charisma to the performance, with the band possessing superb onstage chemistry that truly makes them feel like a single unit, as opposed to a collection of musicians; the back and forth between guitarist Matt Johnson and vocalist Liv Springer is particularly fun to watch, whilst George Higgins, already an established performer in his own right, casts a compelling figure on stage. It would be remiss of me not to also mention drummer Sam Pierpoint who despite being tucked away at the back of stage, clearly was having a fantastic time.
A particularly impressive aspect of the performance is Springer’s vocal performance. Despite hitting numerous huge belted passages across the set, no power is lost at all, and all of the melodies are sung with brilliant energy and vibrance. The band’s latest single, ‘Pick Me Up’, goes down a storm with the audience, and marks the point at which any remaining doubters were converted into believers. The band maintain a celebratory atmosphere right to the dying seconds of the set, and keep your attention squarely focused on them.
With the band seeking to truly break out of the local circuit and make a national name for themselves, it’s hard not to imagine that there are some big stages with their name on them in their future.
HasHinders, the night’s headliners, take to the stage without much fuss. The four piece, at first glance, don’t seem particularly assuming, dressed in simple outfits and keeping any theatrics to a minimum. Yet despite this, the band manage to construct an intense, beguiling performance that keeps your attention firmly glued on them.
Their sound is moody and melancholic, with a hypnotic quality as guitars drone through walls of sounds that alludes to indie, psychedelic rock, and blues; the band never settle comfortably on a sound however, their amorphous nature constantly shifting and keeping the listener guessing as to what twist they’re about to take next.
Vocals snake about between drawn out melodies, spoken word, and sharp shouts that cut through the ambient-tinged soundscape with a surprisingly vicious power. Percussion is performed with a slick and precise manner, contrasting the weighty fuzz of the bass and guitars in an electrifying manner. The band’s upcoming debut single, ‘Nightcap’, packs a weighty, swaggering groove in the bass, whilst the guitar plays out some sublime little riffs. It’s a distinctly cool track, the musical equivalent of sunglasses on a great white shark.
The audience, despite the band’s off-kilter nature, are evidently captivated; even if the energetic dancing of prior acts isn’t present, the audience’s attention remain fixed squarely on the band. Almost as if a reward for their attention, the band play out a spectacular cover of ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’ by The Animals; the vocals here are phenomenal, performed with a smoky edge that perfectly captures the essence of the original track.
HasHinders’ set concludes with the behemoth track ‘Tadpoles’, as the band wade through swampy blues with brilliant technical proficiency and a stellar vocal performance. HasHinders are a band of small details; they understand perfectly how to add bright highlights to the dark musical soundscapes they conjure up, and that is a major reason that it is impossible to take your eyes and ears off them.
This was a veritable buffet of local and northern talent. There is so much good music that is waiting in venues such as EGBGS, all for just a little more than the price of a Weatherspoons pitcher. Some bands may go on to tour huge venues all over the country, maybe even arenas. Others may simply stay small, putting on killer shows that will be remembered as legendary cult classics by the scene. Either way, don’t you want to say you were there when it happened?
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