• Home

Aural Aggravation

Exploring the sound of the underground
Stay updated via RSS

  • Recent Posts

    • Watch: ‘It’s All Mine’ by Buñuel
    • Feather Trade announce late May shows
    • OU – One
    • Watch: ‘Drying’ by Kee Avil; tour dates announced
    • Watch: ‘Shivers’ by Kety Fusco
  • Archives

    • May 2022
    • April 2022
    • March 2022
    • February 2022
    • January 2022
    • December 2021
    • November 2021
    • October 2021
    • September 2021
    • August 2021
    • July 2021
    • June 2021
    • May 2021
    • April 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • September 2016
    • August 2016
    • July 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
    • October 2015
  • Categories

    • Albums
    • Books
    • Films and Documentaries
    • Interviews
    • Live
    • Previews and Editorial
    • Recommended Streams and Videos
    • Reviews
    • Singles and EPs
  • Categories

    • Albums
    • Books
    • Films and Documentaries
    • Interviews
    • Live
    • Previews and Editorial
    • Recommended Streams and Videos
    • Reviews
    • Singles and EPs
  • Meta

    • Register
    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.com

NARCS / Fighting Caravans / Mouses – The Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, 8th July 2016

Posted: 10 July 2016 in Live
Tags: album launch, Fighting Caravans, Gig, Leeds, Mouses, NARCS, Review, The Brudenell Social Club
0

Christopher Nosnibor

What does it take to distinguish an album launch from a regular gig? A sense of occasion is definitely a major factor, and having built themselves a pretty formidable reputation as a live act, and showcased some killer tunes in the run-up to the release of their second album, NARCS have set this launch up nicely. Said new album is a real step up, harder edged and heavier than its predecessor, and is an album of our times. And where else could it be than at the Brudenell, the venue stands at the very heart of the vibrant Leeds scene? It takes some chops to invite Fighting Caravans to support, given that they’re one of those bands who are capable of blowing pretty much any act off the stage.

Perhaps not so much guitar and drum duo Mouses. Fronted by an androgynous nerd in heinous trousers, their glammy indie punk teeters on the brink of parody. But cranking out chords from one of the most fucked-looking yet still functional guitars I’ve seen, they’re lively and good fun and do the job of getting the crowd warmed up nicely.

DSCF4953

Mouses

It’s pretty packed by the time Fighting Caravans take to the stage, Daniel Clark looking most fetching in full toreador getup. Their seven-track set shuns pretty much all of their debut EP, but does feature ‘In Sicily’, the b-side of their latest single release, which is corking. The small stage doesn’t allow much room for movement, but Clark can only be contained so long and sure enough, before the set’s out he’s disappeared to somewhere near the back of the venue.

DSCF4965

Fighting Caravans

It’s rammed and absolutely fucking roasting before NARCS go on, and the cliché of the atmosphere being electric is entirely justified. They’re fired up, alright, and so are the crowd. Radiating waves of aggression, strident in their demeanour, front man Wilko’s face set in a scowl while guitarist Joe peels off sinewy guitar lines, pinned down by a full-throttle rhythm section, they’re on full power from the get-go as they kick off with ‘Mile Die’. The set’s focused primarily on the new album, the taut, highly-charged post-punk blast of energy that is A Thinking Animal, with ‘19’ and ‘Coast to Coast’ from their 2013 debut airing around the mid-point.

DSCF5046DSCF4993

Narcs

Songs like ‘Bullingdon Boys’ and ‘Head Boy Sonnet’ give a fair indication of the primary targets of their fury, and there are some hefty riffs behind the venomous politically-charged lyrical delivery, too. A perfect and momentous gig requires the coming together of band and audience, and the show ends with Wilko being lofted around the venue above the crowd, the guitarist somewhere in the melee and drummer slumped on the floor behind a kit in disarray, amidst strewn guitars and trailing cables, which is a fitting climax to an intense and euphoric night. Most definitely an album launch, and not a regular gig.

DSCF5050.2

DSCF5066

Narcs

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s

Stefan Fraunberger – Quellgeister #2 – Wurmloch
Raging Speedhorn – Lost Ritual

Blog at WordPress.com.
  • Follow Following
    • Aural Aggravation
    • Join 1,945 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Aural Aggravation
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Copy shortlink
    • Report this content
    • View post in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
%d bloggers like this: