If there is one important thing to know about alright (okay), it is the simple matter that this is a band that do nothing quietly.
The Merseyside outfit have been purveyors of a sound that incorporates garage, slacker, noise, grunge, and indie strains of rock since 2021: their bold, authentic, and often witty delivery both in the studio and on stage has earned them quite the cult following in that time. Their debut EP, ‘decent (fine)’, released in October of this year, and offered a celebration of where they have been; famous cuts from their live set such as ‘10A’ and ‘American Yakuza’ have finally been immortalised in studio recording form, whilst tracks such as ‘Good Friend (He Was)’ make for superb new additions to their discography.
A loud and unapologetic EP such as this deserved a loud and apologetic release show, and that is precisely what the band offered up with their November all-dayer event. Not only, however, did this represent a celebration of ‘decent (fine)’, but a send off for founding guitarist Will Booth, who announced that he would be amicably departing the band at the end of 2025.
For such a display of local talent, only one venue would suffice. Out of the 70 venues that have hosted 155 concerts over the past 10 years of attending concerts. Birkenhead’s Future Yard remains the finest that I have attended; nowhere else is the commitment to uplifting community as apparent as it is here.
Opener Colourwash were a late addition to the line-up, stepping up in place of Pevova, and whilst those made for large boots to fill, the outfit immediately set about filling them and then some. They consumed the room with loud, moody, swampy grunge, intertwined with walls of crushing shoegaze. Surprisingly intricate percussion punctuates the bludgeoning noise with a much appreciated sense of groove.
The musicians cast gloomy, introverted figures on the stage, with all crowd interactions done with a coy shyness and wry smiles. That’s not to say they aren’t captivating, however; there’s both an intensity and an aloofness that perfectly accompanies their sound. Moments of crushing, distorted heaviness and bellowing vocals rise up from the sonic murk on their penultimate track, executed with surprising ferocity; it feels a little like early Muse or Radiohead.
It’s easy to suspect that there’s a lot of exciting growth to be seen with this band. With not even a debut single to their name, Colourwash are about as grassroots you can get. Yet as the band’s vocalist toys with screeching guitar feedback to cultivate electrifying waves of noise that pull you straight in, you witness ambition that is should certainly give them quite a following.
In the spirit of ensuring emos had some representation during the day’s proceedings, Face it Tegan were invited to perform second. Having appeared on line ups including fellow heavy stars such as rozemary, Monroe, and False Thoughts, the five piece have been hotly tipped as the next need-to-know heavy act on Merseyside, and their performance at Future Yard went a long way to showing just why.
Powerful vocals and captivating melodies are effortlessly delivered by vocalist Jess Knox, who contrasts the 90’s post-hardcore thunder of the band’s sound with a presence that is both graceful and ethereal. The lead guitarist offers vicious screams that work perfectly in contrast with Knox’s haunting vocal approach. On the other end of the stage, the band’s rhythm guitarist throws in opportunistic two steps whenever possible, as if compelled by his own music; the playful confidence makes for a joyful watch. Moments of danceable electricity are balanced out by gripping guitar chugs that land heavy blows upon the listener; it’s the kind of sound that you can perhaps imagine over a 00’s Shadoe the Headgehog 240p MV, and that is meant with the highest of compliments.
It will be a delight to see this band overcome the nerves that come with starting out, because there is a lot here for the band to feel confident about. Even when the band offer a change of pace with a slow-paced yet swirling cut in the climax of their set, stretching out and shifting through various phases during a lengthy runtime, they lose none of their captivating charm nor musical talent. Believe the hype in Face It Tegan.
With a sound that exists in a vein similar to BCNR and The Orchestra (For Now), Broadsheet Speak offered a Merseyside spin on the Windmill scene, taking progressive rock and jazz elements, and lacing them with heavier, shoegaze styled ideas. Walls of guitars, synth, saxophone and percussion tumble over the listener with a bold melancholy, shifting and writhing as the band refuse to settle into a comfortable sound; they seek to challenge the listener, and the result is thoroughly engaging.
There’s a quiet confidence to the band, as they alternate vocalists and swap and change instruments. Twinkling piano unfurls atop of jazz styles percussive rhythms, whilst vocals mournfully swirl atop of this ever shifting sonic landscape. The band wryly describe themselves as ‘DIY alternative endorsed by your local publication‘, and that feels incredibly apt for what they deliver; this is the sort of band that your favourite local publications will tell you to listen to for years, only for you to seem surprised when they do eventually blow up.
By the time the band reach the climax of their set, it’s clear that they have won the audience over, in spite of their wholly bizarre and tumultuous sound. Genuinely infectious hooks sneak in between the discordant slapping of a piano, and frenzied vocals are delivered almost like a stream of consciousness. It’s a dizzying display of musicianship that offers an insight into a band that blindingly radiates potential, and could very well prove to be the next critical darlings of the indie scene.
If the name didn’t give it away, then Broken Down Golf Cart’s live presence certainly will; there is a wonderful amount of silliness that the three-piece possess. Vocals alternate between spoken word, shouting, and animalistic yelps, as the band cruise through fuzzy soundscapes like a Cadillac on route 66. It’s breezy and whimsical, but weighty with swaggering grooves.
Simplistic musical elements are brought together in a manner that feels almost like an intentional deconstruction of what space rock is all about; drums pound out stomping rhythms and vocals are delivered with a playful punkish punch. It’s perhaps like somebody not only taught The Shaggs how to actually play music, but also gave them sunglasses, double denim, and a pinch of LSD, and let it be known that all of this is intended as a compliment.
Broken Down Golf Cart serve as a reminder that live music should be, above all else, fun. With their character, wit, and charm, it is not difficult to imagine independent festivals and Radio 6 listeners absolutely adoring what this band have to offer; their silliness does not obfuscate the fact that they are serious musicians.
With direct comparisons to their 2024 headline set at the very same venue making this set particularly interesting to review, what is perhaps most immediately striking is quite simply the increase in outwards confidence The Marigolds present with. Without any hesitation, the band set about utterly devouring the stage, the pit, and all of the listeners with in, with all three members in equal measure bringing a captivatingly furious energy. Joe Green’s vocals are filled with a rambunctious grit, whilst Dan Kelly unloads slick, swaggering riffs that elevated the band beyond simple punk.
A chunky bass lick from Green sends an invite to the crowd to get moving, and they happily accept with resounding cheers. On ‘Robot Queen’, Kelly springs across the stage as if possessed by his very own guitar, before rolling onto his back, not missing a beat, whilst Green delivers a monstrously good vocal performance, oscillating between slick verses and raucous choruses. The band grin at one another, the chemistry real and obvious.
Are The Marigolds Merseyside’s best live act? They are, at the very least, undoubtedly within the top ten; the kind of charisma they exude is deeply, naturally infectious, with even the most stone hearted of concertgoers bobbing their heads. The antics they engage in on stage truly lends the impression that they enjoy playing their music just as much as the crowd enjoys listening to it, with the dancing, jumping, and moving all feeling chaotically authentic as opposed to choreographed for a quick TikTok.
When the band announce that they’re playing their final song, I can’t help but feel disappointed; live music this good is dangerously addictive. Even people whom had only just entered the room, fresh pints in hand, start dancing along, cheering as Green lets out a simply primal scream, before plunging into one final, brilliant breakdown. The Marigolds don’t simply want to go on tour with your favourite band, they want to BE your favourite band; give them a chance and that might well be a reality.
By the time it came for the headline act to take to the stage, the room had filled up impressively, and notably many of the day’s fellow musicians had excitedly stuck around to experience what alright (okay) had to offer. Their October EP had been received well, and now that the crowd had been given ample time to learn the lyrics, it was time to see what alright (okay) could do with a room that was truly theirs to command.
The band are well loved in their scene, and for anybody who wasn’t aware of this, the crowd made it immediately apparent. As they open their set with ‘Idle & Unmotivated’, people get straight to dancing, here to celebrate the band, their music, and their departing guitarist. As Booth sings ‘Boyz Noize’, vocalist Alex Usher is perched on the edge of the stage, egging the crowd on almost as if he wishes he was watching his own band. Usher makes for a genuinely fantastic frontman, a ferocious Rottweiler of the stage, taking up every inch of free space with his surprisingly commanding presence. A mosh pit is requested, and the crowd, chomping at the bit to take the energy up to the next level, happily oblige.
The band play songs that very well may never see the light of day again in celebration of what is their largest concert to date. Their debut single, ‘Coffee’ goes down a storm with the crowd, with the track’s danceable rhythms sounding even better live than on recording; it’s an absolute gem of an indie anthem, and the band reserving it for special occasions truly lends the performance an electrical energy.
The band expertly out-manoeuvre dead air by ensuring even moments such as guitar tuning are filled with atmospheric drums and gentle strumming. It means that when the band vault into ‘10A’, no energy has dissipated, and the crowd immediately recommence moshing. That continues to be the case as the band surge into ‘Good Friend (He Was)’. The initial riff scorches the room with its ferocious intensity, whilst the bridge sees Usher delivering a performance that feels nothing short of monumental to witness. with the grief and pride of the track pouring forwards and consuming the room entirely, he grips the mic stand tightly as he relives the very moments that conjured the song into being.
These moments of intensity are balanced out perfectly by moments of joyous levity; drummer James Byrne strips off his shirt on the demand of the crowd. After a particularly vicious performance of ‘A Conversation / I Can’t Remember’, alright (okay) is chanted repeatedly by the eager, hungry audience. The room had filled close to its 280 person capacity, and it feels undeniable that it’s only a matter of time until the band sell out venues of this size and beyond. They have achieved the sort of cult-like following that marketing executives will charge you through the nose to teach you how to get, and it’s entirely through their hard work and authenticity. There are no pretences about alright (okay).
Not everything goes quite to plan, but even mistakes only serve to cement the human brilliance of alright (okay)’s performance; Booth swaps the verses of ‘Sandpaper; Concrete’ around, prompting amused and somewhat befuddled glances from Usher. ‘Elevator Etiquette’ immediately prompts the crowd to get bouncing, and it explodes to another level as Usher descends into the crowd, wholly dissolving the barrier between artist and audience. Making your music into a movement is something musicians will spend a lifetime trying and failing to achieve, yet in the confines of a grassroots venue on a dark night in Birkenhead, you can truly see that alright (okay) are already well on their way to achieving this.
alright (okay) do not do things quietly, and thank god for that. By the end of this raucous set, sweat pouring from the brows of those who had given their all in the pit, it is clear that whilst the future of this band is yet to be divined, the chances of it being bright are incredibly high. Booth has cemented an impressive musical legacy in the foundations of a band whose trajectory should, universal justice willing, only go upwards.
In celebrating their EP and Booth, alright (okay) have closed the door on their opening chapter, and opened another to whatever comes next. There is little doubt that whatever comes next for the band will be alright, and might even be okay.
Follow the bands on social media below:
Colourwash
Face It Tegan
Broadsheet Speak
Instagram // TikTok // Bandcamp // Twitter
Broken Down Golf Cart
Instagram // Bandcamp // Twitter
alright (okay)
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