The Tops show was a difficult one to put into words, I just don’t have the right words for a show like this, I’ll try my best. Their music is cool and quite sensual. Think of an indie version of a classic 60s lounge singer. Tops aren’t a vintage act or a nostalgia act by any means though, these tinges come from singer Jane Penny’s voice which is a voice you find yourself falling in love with slightly. Their live sound is very different from their recorded output; for me, in a live environment their music benefited from having a lack of production. These earlier references don’t make a huge amount of sense when listening to the albums. But live, without added studio magic, served the band’s sound incredibly well.

Firstly, they’re all incredible musicians, there are lots of subtleties in their music. Guitarist David Carriere is simply incredible, he seamlessly runs up and down a guitar neck like it’s nothing. There’s no sense of showboating to how he plays either, it serves the songs and adds another dynamic without being at the forefront. Tops really are a band of subtleties, their music is free, joyful and at certain points quite dreamy.

They’re a real treat to watch live as well; they all seem to get so much joy out of playing it fills up the room. Between songs they all riff with each other very well and really seem completely free, without anxiety. They have brief exchanges with members of the audience, who make the adoration no secret either. At one point they appoint Ben, a member of the audience, to be the “beer guy” and start asking him to open their bottles.

Their new album Sugar at the Gate is a really beautiful listen, songs like ‘Further’ send shivers up the spine live. It’s a packed show tonight at The Joker as well, the room is full to the brim and the audience breaks into brief mild dances. Sugar at the Gate is probably the closest of their three albums to what the band sound like live. The previous two all have a lot of production behind them and sound very full sonically, whereas Sugar at the Gate shakes this off, giving the album a lot of breathing space. It’s this difference and this lightness to their music which makes it so good to watch live. There’s a feeling of letting go when listening to their music. At points the sound isn’t fantastic, but that’s probably due to a packed room and I was standing very close to the back.

They don’t sell us short with their set list either, playing a good hour and quarter which I wasn’t expecting. At one point it seems they’re almost taking requests from the audience, although I’m sure they were planning on playing ‘Sleeptalker’ at some point. Live it’s beautiful to listen to, it’s a dreamy sounding song that sounds so much like a bare bones song it almost displays a vulnerability to the band. Their set is finished shortly after and the huge applause and cheering from the audience seems to make the band blush a little. They come back on shortly and play a cover of The Pretenders’ ‘Brass in Pocket’ which they lovingly describe as a “silly song”. Making one more goodbye, they walk off whilst the audience tries to get a further encore. As a live band Tops were really special to watch and hear, they seem to love every moment of being on stage and with music like theirs why wouldn’t they?
Chris Middleton

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