The Rifles are in town tonight, but who’d of known? Unlike many shows in Brighton, this was kept relatively under wraps, it wasn’t plastered over the internet and posters were not splattered over walls. This was to lead for one thing though, and it began to become clear that this acoustic jaunt was to be an intimate affair. It was previously scheduled for December 2015 but due to illness on behalf of frontman, Joel Stoker, it was moved to a Friday night at the start of February. Perhaps for the better, it no longer landed midweek and it called for people to let their hair down a little more. The crowd were certainly under the influence come nine o’clock and you got a sense that Rifles fever had taken its toll. Sing along songs were set in stone.

The Rifles initially emerged from Chingford, East London in the mid 00s amongst a dirge of indie, rock bands. Leather, pints of Carling, trilby hats and skinny jeans had become the staple point of fashion by this point – when this was merged with a carefree, hedonistic lifestyle, you essentially had the makings of contemporary rock’n’roll. As with all fashion, it became a bandwagon that was leaped upon. There was something about The Rifles though that acted as a twinkle in an eye, there was a charm and charisma which allowed them to rise above similar bands such as The Pigeon Detectives, The Enemy and The Futureheads. This was largely down to having the knack of writing an incredibly catchy song, built for the masses to sing along to. Generally when bands garner success, it is from having a debut with a few numbers on that are commercially viable – see The Enemy, We’ll Live and Die in These Towns. The Rifles though could produce hits not only the first time round with No Love Lost but even on the second album, Great Escape and the third, Freedom Run. So, as The Haunt filled up, eventually to the point where it had sold out, I began to gather just what this intimate affair meant. It was to be a lesson in songwriting and any young, ambitious musician out there should stand up and take note.

Beginning the night with the opener off their debut album, ‘She’s Got Standards’ is a song that is spat at you in a similar fashion to Weller’s stuff with The Jam. It’s a real snarler of a song but acts as the perfect grease for this crowd. The chorus ripples around The Haunt leaving the crowd spilling around at the front yelling: “Ooh she’s got standards but your cool if you’re at twenty-five.” This was to set the general tempo for the rest of the night, it was to be a night where three chaps in the form of Joel Stoker, Lucas Crowther and Deano commanded a crowd through onstage ad-libs and melodies that were to be sung back in unison. Songs such as ‘Local Boy’ and ‘Peace and Quiet’ show exactly why The Rifles’ debut was the great album it was. Each song is drenched in youth optimism, lyrics are social commentaries of every twenty something male trying to get by in the do or die society that London presents. If lyrics aren’t the above, they are stories; the likes of which are passed down through ancestors and old blokes you’d catch in the pub – the type you’d chat to for a number of hours before they confess all of their sins.

This theme of poetic, singalong songs is passed through to the second album, showcasing hits such as ‘The Great Escape’, giving them a stripped back, emotive tug. Gritty lyrics are represented in this coming of age track – Stoker snarls his way through in a confident fashion: “Don't let your day grow long before it comes a week / Go and make a change before the big sleep.” He then ironically questions the crowd on its volume, stating how he couldn’t hear himself anymore due to the eruption of noise from the front row. It became apparent that to do an acoustic set in front of this crowd, you have to bring your sense of wit with you.

Coming to the end of the set, I couldn’t help but feel nostalgically exhausted. For me, it had become a complete flashback to my youth, when I was 18, getting ready for those first nights out drinking. Songs such as the Verve-esque ‘Tangled Up In Love’ had become such staple point songs of coming of age times in my life – my growing up. Seeing them played live in such an intimate setting, stripped back to just three instruments, was exceptionally touching.

The final song of the night came in the form of ‘Romeo and Julie’ – a track that carries with it the typical “woah-woah-woah” but utilises it in such a fashion that as we left the venue, a group of mid-30s chaps were shouting it along the road and through The Laines. A brief stage invasion coincided with the final song, seeing young lads jump on the stage and dance along, it became evident the mass appeal this band have. The age range spanned from 16 right through to 60 something. A band that appeals to men and women from the 60s and 70s, right through to the kids of today. There’s something incredibly sentimental about this. The Rifles are a band made for weekends. They are a band that want you to sing in unison with them. They are made for big crowds so seeing them play tonight to a sold out, smaller crowd was an absolute privilege.
Tom Churchill

Website: therifles.com
Facebook: facebook.com/therifles
Twitter: twitter.com/theriflesband