T’was the last weekend of April and all through the club everyone was silent except for… No, no, that’s not how it was. Bands came, bands played, t’was loud.
April’s edition of the Clash Saturday Social was dealt a blow just two hours before doors when news reached us that Calories – our openers to be – were stranded in Birmingham. After unsuccessfully attempting to woo a band over from the Camden Crawl, we pressed on… and were far from disappointed with the two bands we did have.
Pulled Apart By Horses are on a roll right now, their frenetic rock shows appreciated by all and sundry to the extent where previous recordings have sold out on the back of their irresistible live energy. While the Leeds foursome are playing their second set of the day, following an all-ages do in Camden, they display no signs of tiredness, getting firmly stuck into things by diving into the crowd at the first opportunity. With oddly anthemic pop-tinged hardcore efforts like ‘Meat Balloon’ and ‘I Punched A Lion In The Throat’ in their arsenal, expect the band to make an explosive mark on this summer’s festival scene.
Headliners Copy Haho are rare visitors to the capital by comparison to the always-on-the-road PABH – but then again the cheery four-piece do hail from Stonehaven, in northern Scotland. Although some might be expecting a set of melancholic mutterings in the spirit of so many other indie-centric Scots – when it’s dark it’s really dark up that way, right? – the band delivers a sprightly collection of sing-along-friendly numbers, many of which are drawn from their excellent ‘Bred For Skills And Magic’ EP, reviewed HERE. Their enthusiasm is hugely infectious, and it’s impossible not to smile your way through their immediately catchy offerings. While a new band still, and one with little touring under their collective belt, expect Copy Haho to be far bigger news in the music world once more people bear witness to their effortlessly accessible but always inventive fare.
So, while we were down a band, no attendee leaves the April Saturday Social on any kind of downer – proof positive that if you book them and they don’t come, all’s not lost.
Photographs kindly provided by Lucy Johnston – visit her Flickr page HERE.
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The next Clash Saturday Social @ RoTa takes place at the Notting Hill Arts Club on May 23, from 4pm until 8pm. Entry is free (over-18s only) and there are drinks offers available at the bar. Playing live on May 23 (running order TBA):
Friendship – awesomely instant-of-rock London two-piece; think DFA1979 with fancier riffs.
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Ungdomskulen – Norwegian powerhouse trio along the sonic lines of Trans Am meeting Super Furry Animals, with a fantastic live reputation; expect ears to ring in celebration!
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The Laurel Collective – witty and inventive London-based folk outfit, with songs rich of texture and soulful of tone; for fans of Mystery Jets and Micachu.
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worriedaboutsatan – Leeds-based ambient/electro duo with debut album ‘Arrivals’ forthcoming; expect swirling, twinkling soundscapes of teleportal sublimity a la a glitched-up Stars Of The Lid or The Village Orchestra.
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