Christopher Nosnibor
It’s bank holiday Friday in May. It’s exam season at university, and York Races on Saturday. And it’s the first day of a heatwave, which hits after three weeks of rain and temperatures which have struggled to make double figures. These could all be factors in explaining tonight’s turnout. But because it’s absolutely melting, I probably go a fair way to compensating any fall in bar sales just to put fluid in as fast as it’s pouring out of me, and I can only imagine how hot it would have been if the place had been packed.
Rodentia are a late addition to the lineup, which has been subject to a number of revisions. They open their set with a cover of ‘Harness Your Hopes’ by Pavement. It seems a curious choice, although having gone viral on TikTok and become their most streamed song on Spotify, meaning it’s probably a lot better known than I appreciate. They’re a three-piece, and the singer/guitarist is a lanky sod who’s vocal style is a croaky drawl. He asks us if we’ve heard of a band called Radiohead before they play ‘Just’. I hope he’s kidding. It’s a passable rendition. On their second original song, ‘Never Left’ (the set alternates a 50/50 split of originals and covers), the bass and guitar part ways in playing the same key around a minute in, and the discord become increasingly apparent as the set progresses. Then there’s a cover of Viagra Boys ‘Worms’. It’s all very much geared towards the lower end of mid-tempo, and as such lacks dynamic and energy. They finally find the accelerator at the end of the last song, ‘Borat’, and go pedal to the metal before a hard stop which feels like driving straight into a wall. There’s potential, but considerable work needed.
Rodentia
Sheffield’s Imaginary Friends gave the initial impression they were going to be a bit pop-punk, but immediately unleashed a bass-heavy grunged-up wall of noise. At times more straight punk, and in places proper heavy, their invitations to come forward become a running joke throughout the set. Because it’s not especially busy, the space in front of the stage is quite sparsely populated, but half of those present are pinned to the walls in the face of the sheer volume. Apparently, they’ve got merch, too.
Imaginary Friends
This is a power trio for whom power is the operative word, with a wild flanged guitar sound. It seems I’m too old to know ‘All Star’, the cover they closed with. Apparently, it’s by Smash Mouth, according to a younger mate. Would see again.
The Bricks I would always see again, and by now I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen them. The thing is, they’re always bloody good – and tonight is no exception. Whether it’s packed to the rafters or half empty, they always give everything, and there are few bands who are this consistent, both in terms of performance and the standard of the material. However, because the audience is a bit sparse, the vibe is notably relaxed, with more direct interaction between band and audience.
The Bricks
Their songs are short and fast, and there’s no way they could play with such intensity for an hour even if they had the material. But Gemma’s on chatty form, and while she may be utterly fearsome while singing, between songs her persona’s more akin to Mrs Merton (more so now she’s wearing glasses), and utterly hilarious at times. Because it’s all so natural and unfiltered, not to mention the diametric opposite of the music and the performance, which is full-on, stomping, aggressive, it’s all the more endearing. The bottom line is that they’re a great band. Will definitely see again – next month.
Aural Aggravation 