One of the breakthrough acts of the year, Hooton Tennis Club, came to Brighton for what was set to be a fun evening at the Green Door Store. The four piece from Mersyside started when they caught the ear of an Edge Hill University lecturer who ended up releasing ‘Kathleen Sat On The Arm Of Her Favourite Chair’ on his uni-based record imprint, The Labe. It unsurprisingly found its way to Heavenly Recordings who added another amazing act to their roster in their celebratory 25th year. Their debut album, Highest Point In Cliff Town, quickly found its way onto the airwaves, with 6Music’s Lauren Laverne labelling ‘Jasper’ as her song of the year (so far). So it is no wonder why this band, touring their first album has sold-out way in advance.

 

First on stage was Brighton’s dynamic rockers White Room. Music is obviously very subjective and even though the five piece got a good response from the filling crowd, I struggled to see their appeal. Yes, they did have some really nice moments of music which gave me glimpse of a band I would love to like, but for the most of it, it was predictable yet unpredictable but still very predictable. Repeatedly they would add different “influences” into their songs (parts of Madchester, parts of Bripop, parts of Babyshambles, parts of Paul Weller, parts of Suede, parts ….) and still manged to sound ordinary and without a direction. Obviously this was not my kind of band and I am still sure a sizable chunk of the crowd will be checking out their recently released debut EP, Fizzy Liquid, but check them out for yourself.

 

Beach Baby were next on the bill – their catchy beats, tasty solos, luscious melodies and sweet harmonies swept graciously across the crowd in an alternative slacker-pop package. Their apathetic tones and crisp musicianship hails from Goldsmith College in London with their roots belonging in Dorset, Sheffield and Athens. The propulsive dreamy 80s/90s sound matches the stories of suburban malaise and languorus love they effortlessly portray is very moreish. I suggest having a listen to the bands Soundcloud, and although they have only come together this year, they have five brilliant new songs to get you started.

 

The first thing you notice when Hooton Tennis Club took to the stage is their slightly odd setup – bass player Callum McFadden taking centre stage, drummer Harry Chalmers behind, then James Madden and Ryan Murphy on vocal and guitar either side them – perhaps it nods to the free-flowing feel to their sound and persona that conforms to none, other than the convivial. In no time at all, you are sucked into their loose guitar riffs and even looser vocals with the room in almost robotic nodding. Hooton’s poetic sentiment, oozing with a sense of youthful absurdity kept reminding me of an early Cribs but with more of a droll onstage humour, managing to whip parts of the audience into an instant frenzy. Jumpers came off before fan favourite ‘P.O.W.E.R.F.U.L. P.I.E.R.R.E.’ marking that “shit was about to get real”, which it definitely did. However their catalogue isn’t all raucous hop around on the spot pop-rock tunes, they also have an assortment of catchy slack pace tracks (a personal highlight ‘…And Then Camilla Drew Fourteen Dots On Her Knee’) to gently sway to instead. Hooton Tennis Club may have a bit of an off kilter sound, especially with vocals all over the place, but that doesn’t hide their quality song writing which is always whimsical and strangely provocative. I still think there is a lot to come from this band and I will be eagerly keeping an eye on them to see what comes next.

Iain Lauder