Three-piece Canadian grunge band, The Courtneys, are a group with one incredibly murky sound in the best way imaginable. Their distinctive fuzziness accompanied by a dreamy grunge rock is a definite sight to behold, tonight is the band’s first ever UK performance and it is a genuine privilege to be amongst the first to see the band bring their fresh sound to UK soil.

Brighton is the perfect place for The Courtneys to start their UK adventure and a support from the fantastic local group, Porridge Radio, makes the experience even better. Porridge Radio’s style of grungy psychedelia is really soothing and contains a simply beautiful and diverse voice! However, don’t let this initial deception fool you, this band are nothing short of insane and the dreamy sound soon climaxes into a series of incredibly raw and passionate screams which hit remarkably hard. Porridge Radio’s energy, level of charismatic fun, and hilariously improvised set really makes for something memorable and left the entire room with a feel good vibe that carried on throughout. Definitely do not brush over their name as this band are an uprising talent certainly worth keeping an eye on.

As The Courtneys enter the room they immediately burst into the opening track from their new record ‘Silver Velvet’ and put their set into ferocious motion. The track acts as a brilliant opening and there are certainly more than a few in the audience who are eager to see this band perform, pumping their heads along to the track. Drumming vocalists are always a personal favourite addition to any band and The Courtneys’ Jen Twynn Payne is no exception. Jen’s beautifully dreamy tones drastically contrast the equally impressive harsh and sharpened drum beats and place the foundation buzz to the remaining instruments.

Each member of this band holds a sublime level of talent which can be seen from a mile away and bassist Sydney Koke’s riffs are incredible. They hold a distinct wooden feel to them all whilst meeting the fuzzy grunge head on, she is by no means afraid to spread each riff across the entirety of the bass neck and utilities some of the most interesting basslines I have seen in a while. Equally, guitarist Courtney Garvin uses of some incredibly simple yet powerful solo work to define each track’s overall sound and provides a distinctive crunchiness to the song. Each member definitely shares the spotlight equally and all seem to be having a brilliant time playing.

The band’s interaction with the crowd is fantastic and features some delightfully awkward moments from Sydney, the band proceed to say it is great to be playing in England and name a few of the UK artists who have influenced them since their beginning; Teenage Fanclub and… U2. Perhaps not the best one to admit, and is met by a hilarious outburst from the audience which makes for a really intimate feel to the show through a back and forth dialogue between the room and band as the crowd proceed to offer insights into some other of the country’s best acts. A brilliant icebreaker if nothing else. Back into the music with the incredibly catchy ‘Lost Boys’ and the set is well underway, the upbeat muddy tones are definitely something that The Courtneys have utilised incredibly well and, whilst each track does hold definite similarities to the last, each is nicely defined by its own characteristic quirks.

Ending the evening is the perfectly suited ‘Tour’ and makes for a beautifully fitting closure to the set. The crowd respond incredibly well to the track and have definitely come away feeling satisfied with the performance. It is incredibly nerve racking for any band to play a different country for the first time, but the UK, Brighton especially, have certainly welcomed The Courtneys with open arms. They are definitely a band who many will enjoy and it still feels as though they have a lot to offer. The Courtneys should be incredibly proud of their set tonight, we wish them not only the best of luck on the rest of their UK tour but must stress again that they are definitely welcome back to our city absolutely anytime.
Ben Walker

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