Wavves at Hoxton Bar and Kitchen, London

Golden Lady hit London's East End to check out Wavves:

Raucous, loud, sweaty and punky. Wavves are everything you want in a modern day Californian punk rock band.

Friendlier than Fugazi, darker than their musical ancestors, Minor Threat, yet poppier than Jay Reatard, with whom they share former members, they are a fun, clever, scuzzy band who prove throughout the night to be full of healthy contradictions.

A messy start to what continues to feel like a pretty messy show is, nonetheless, engaging and enthralling, largely due to the raw performance of band members and those smart, hooky power punk songs recalling threads of early Nirvana.

Founder and singer of the band, Nathan Williams punches through each track with apparent pride that forgoes any of the nonchalance he assumes between songs. Laughing at his own jokes and complaining about broken strings and bad sound doesn't quite suit the atmosphere, nor the bands reputation. But this doesn't seem to bother the mostly ‘young dude’ crowd who are waiting patiently for the next moment of fuzzed out guitar wattage and noise-inducing disharmony, which preempts nearly every track in the set.

Things are definitely more engaging when the band are playing, pouncing and swallowing up the sonic space with their potent melodies.

Opener King of the Beach remains one of the highlights of the show - a perfect combination of surf, pop-punk and melodic glory. Other tracks Take on the World and Green Eyes are standouts, the latter, with its unaffected lyrics (“My own friends hate me/But I don't give a shit”) and vocal waverings, once again channelling Kurt Cobain. Super Soaker reminds me of Best Coast, or perhaps it’s the other way around, who’s to know?

There are songs in between that tumble into the next without much consideration, my attention wafts in and out, occasionally focusing on a stupendously drunk girl who seems intent on body surfing into a mostly well-behaved crowd. But then the band hit with one of those perfect skuzzed out moments and all is forgiven.

Bruises and all, Wavves are undoubtedly an exciting buzz of a band, reaching for something more than just post teenage tantrums and vague ambition.

Review by Golden Lady. See her own blog here. 

Photo borrowed with a loving kiss from our friends over at Rip It Up.

The Bravery at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen, London

What seems like about 100 years ago now, BobbySix.com interviewed The Bravery, and lovely chaps they were too. So we couldn't resist checking out their recent residency in London's East End. JonJon headed along to the show:

You have to feel a bit sorry for The Bravery. Massively hyped in late 2004 and 2005, they were one of the pioneers of the sound that has come to currently dominate much of modern popular music, but where have they been? They had a top ten album in the UK in 2005 and then... well, nothing.

They’ve apparently released two albums since then; and I’d heard nothing. No remixes, no plays on alternative radio nor any blog/online support. This should not be. When I mentioned to friends that I was seeing The Bravery the most common initial reaction was either surprise that they still existed then even more surprise that they were touring. NME has described this tour as a comeback, apparently to support a new single and album. The Bravery had fallen off the map, but can these intimate gigs, despite their small nature, bring them back? Probably not, but they are an example of a band with some powerful, still popular songs and a strong stage presence.

The venue suited the band’s sound and staging (if there could be said to be any) perfectly. There’s no drama, no light show, just the admittedly gorgeous and well dressed band with their instruments; the music is the focus. They opened with two tracks from their eponymous first album, Unconditional and No Brakes. After over six years of touring these tracks they sounded perfect, the band tight and not a note out of place.

Despite the crowd’s seeming unfamiliarity with the tracks from later albums the energy level never really dropped, the venue’s limited size not allowing the enthusiasm of the crowd to dissipate. There were occasional semi-lulls but these were always forgotten with the next song. They set a cracking pace, playing 16 tracks in a little over an hour and twenty minutes. Their first album (and judging from the crowd’s reaction the one most came to hear) was a mixture of frenetic post punk/new wave party music and the packed venue amplified this vibe.

The final song of the main set was their signature track An Honest Mistake and it is still an amazing song. The crowd sung along, knowing every word and the band seemed genuinely touched (literally, in the case of some of the more aggressive female audience members). After a short break of less than a minute they jumped into the encore: one new song and then finishing with Fearless for a final singalong from their first album. The band’s appreciation for their reception was shown by their willingness to hang around afterwards and sign autographs, with no attitude.

If you hadn’t heard of The Bravery before and had somehow wandered into this gig, you would be impressed. The support acts were also excellent: Royal Chains with a similar sound to the most familiar Bravery tracks and occasionally early Interpol, and Transfers, a band who may have coasted slightly on their singer and frontman’s charm, bringing to mind The Killers when they first broke.

Is this a comeback? Yes and no. The Bravery hadn’t gone away but they had almost been forgotten. This limited club tour won’t bring back the hype of 2005 but they are worth seeing and the energy and songs show that this band is more than capable of being just as successful as they once were. Go and see them live while you can before they only have an appearance on the Twilight soundtrack as a legacy.

For tour dates and to hear some tracks, head to The Bravery's Myspace.  

Review and photos by JonJon (the handsome fellow on the right in the picture below - oh, and check out the bald dude behind him!)