One of Bristol’s most treasured music venues was treated to the premiere of indie club night This Feeling‘s ‘Alive’ tour on Sunday. Ex-cargo ship Thekla proved to be the perfectly unique setting to match a one-of-a-kind evening of live music, featuring Yves, Blackwaters, Bang Bang Romeo and The Shimmer Band.
This Feeling billed the above line-up as ‘four of the most exciting new prospects in the world of indie rock’- a high bar to set, but any scepticism regarding ‘the hype’ was certainly challenged throughout the course of the evening. Perhaps one shouldn’t be surprised, considering that this club night has been at the forefront of the indie scene for 10 years, most recently playing a pivotal role in the stratospheric rise of Blossoms, who achieved a UK number 1 album in 2016.
The potential to reach such heights was without doubt on display at Thekla on Sunday, beginning with Swindon-based three-piece Yves who deliver a classic indie sound minus clichés but plus personality. The crowd, although pleasingly diverse in terms of age and gender, is initially sparse. However, despite a lack of significant showmanship, especially in comparison with the rest of the line-up, the opening act’s infectious choruses combine with the intimacy of the venue to create an electric atmosphere, and thus the crowd is sufficiently warmed in time for Guildford’s Blackwaters.
This punk-influenced four-piece combine chaotic guitars, political rage, and their own distinctive attitude in a literally 3-dimensional performance involving audience participation, water spitting and a fourth-wall-defying guitar solo, not to mention the deformation of a microphone stand. A highlight of the set is Down, a track expressing frustration at passivity with quick and clever lyrics.
A shift in atmosphere is precipitated by Bang Bang Romeo – a female-fronted rock band, the significance of which unfortunately cannot be diminished considering the typical male domination of the indie scene.
A fellow audience member commented that ‘Adele walked onto stage with a rock band’, and certainly lead singer Anastasia has all of Adele’s bluesy, powerhouse perfection, yet with ten times the stage presence and originality and no cold, corporate gloss. These commanding vocals are supported by an impressive light show and a tight band, with their set including anthemic debut single Chemical and the ethereal Natural Born Astronaut, complete with Bowie-esque countdown.
The unearthly theme continues with the entrance of Bristol’s own The Shimmer Band, a psychedelically-rooted rock 5-piece with an affinity for Cobain-reminiscent sunglasses. They draw the largest and most enthusiastic crowd of the evening, a fact one may attribute to their recent accolade of Peter Crouch’s ‘Pick of the Week’ on Radio X, or more likely their instantly recognisable combination of synth and guitar riffs, euphoric and soaring choruses, plus frontman Tom Newman’s uncompromising stage presence. Opening with What is Mine?, the set also included the uplifting Sunkick which contrasted with the darker, heavier Shoot Me (Baby), showcasing the band’s range.
The very nature of the gig divided the pre-curfew time between four contrasting acts, resulting in the potential for a lack of depth and a disjointed evening. However, these issues were utterly subverted; each band possesses the musical and performance ability to express their identity within a limited time frame, while This Feeling carefully assembled a group of artists encapsulating the indie scene, in that despite each being completely individual, these acts share foundations of passion and fearlessness in the creation of music. Thus this four-part gig is far from surface-skimming or confusing; rather, based on this lineup, one is likely to agree with Noel Gallagher that ‘This Feeling is the best club in the UK for future Rock and Roll stars.’