Small Pond Recordings – Hope & Ruin – 19th December 2015

T’was the weekend before Christmas and all through The Hope… Small Pond were showing us exactly why they have become such an accessory in masterminding some of Brighton’s most exciting gigs. 

Their nights have become staple points of Brighton’s gigging circuit, they have given Brighton a fresh breath of anything orientated around post-rock and math-rock. Tonight they celebrated a very successful year which has seen them release countless records, put on around 15 gigs at various venues in the city and, on top of it all, open a great big rehearsal and recording studio down on Castle Street. This evening was to be a covers night featuring the likes of Tall Ships who performed Brand New and InTehchnicolour who played material by Deftones. The covers night was taken a step further by InTechnicolour’s bassist: Vlad Matveikov, who made the brave decision to dress in the ever so risqué nu-metal fashion, excessively high socks and baggy flannel shirts it was then.

 

The venue was at capacity, there was little room to move as Wild Cat Strike took to the stage at around 8:15pm. They were performing sections of Modest Mouse’s back-catalogue which allowed an interesting step into Isaac Brock’s world without seeing him in the flesh. Covers nights can alway be a bit hit and miss unless the band performing can do the material justice either through performing it perfectly or putting their own spin on the material. Fortunately for Wild Cat Strike, they did not miss and took punters down the chirpy, indie-rock sensibility that likes of ‘Dance Hall’ and ‘Bury Me With It’ can provide. 

 

InTechnicolour were next to take the stage performing a set consisting of Deftones’ hits. The five piece arrived onstage just after 9pm with frontman: Tobie Anderson slurring into the microphone, “Happy bloody Christmas”. The whole thing seemed exceptionally satiric and witty seeing as Deftones are perhaps the furthest thing I could imagine from Bing Crosby, Wham or an old chap in a red suit. I have always struggled with Deftones. They are one of those bands that slipped my radar and I have yet to explore them however, after hearing them covered tonight they are guaranteed to be on repeat for the Christmas period. Plummeting through hits such as ‘My Own Summer (Shove It)’ and ‘Change [In the House of Flies’ demonstrated not just the talent of InTechnicolour as a band but also their attention to detail. This was further evidenced with Anderson’s admiral attempt at nu-metal rap. A song like ‘Back To School’ can arrive as an intimidating challenge lyrical challenge to any frontman, credit to Anderson though as he more than rose to the opportunity, even with a phone showing the lyrics, I argue nobody can class that as cheating. Ultimately it acted as a great introduction of Deftones to myself who has never listened before, essentially putting the introduction of new music into a physical experience.

 

Playing an intense back-catalogue by American alternative rockers: Brand New, were Tall Ships. Tall Ships acted as a nostalgic trip down memory lane to music that I have seldom listened to since my oh-so-emotional yesteryears listening to the likes of Taking Back Sunday, Motion City Soundtrack and New Found Glory. What they provided though was great fun, favourites such as ‘Jesus Christ’ and ’Sowing Season’ erupted small pockets of crowds around the tightly packed Hope and Ruin venue, beers clanked and everyone forgot about taking things too seriously.

 

Finally, amid a sea of problems, Spit Shake Sisters arrived onstage. After tackling problems based around guitar leads and excessive feedback, you couldn’t help but feel the party would have been exceptionally rounded off had the night ended at Tall Ships. Credit to Spit Shake Sisters though, it was a brave move taking on a headline slot five days before the show itself took place. Stepping into the shoes of a Tigercub – Queens of the Stone Age covers set is not easy at the best of times, let alone the fact that you need learn to cover a band such as Black Sabbath. After issues and problems were tackled, Spit Shake Sister’s capped off a great night with ‘War Pigs’, this song was given exceptional justice and the spirit of Spit Shake Sisters is what shined through with the ever charismatic Harrison Davies rising to the challenge. 

 

Small Pond opened the Christmas festivities for many on Saturday, they took punters on introductory lessons and nostalgic trips and ultimately, despite issues here and there, they rekindled everyone’s secret love of covers nights – all killers, no fillers. 

Tom Churchill

 

Website: 

Small Pond Recordings – smallpondrec.co.uk

 

Facebook: 

Small Pond Recordings – facebook.com/smallpondrecordings
Wild Cat Strike – facebook.com/wildcatstrike
InTechnicolour – facebook.com/Intechnicolourband
Tall Ships – facebook.com/wearetallships
Spit Shake Sisters – facebook.com/SpitShakeSisters

 

Twitter:
Small Pond Recordings – twitter.com/SmallPondRec

Wild Cat Strike – twitter.com/Wild_Cat_Strike
InTechnicolour – twitter.com/ITechnicolour
Tall Ships – twitter.com/tallshipsmusic