In Bleach, Two Bob Promotions had chosen an ambitious venue for their debut event – but also a strong and intriguing headline band in Thyla, backed by some solid supports. They may have a way to go to establish themselves as promoters, but they got off to a good start, concocting a young and homegrown feel with a lineup dominated by BIMM emergents.

There was a good crowd by the time the second support act, Thoughts, came out with funky dynamism on the bass, and some artistic use of pedals by the lead guitar. They had a good singer upfront, very mobile, who animated the whole band by his self-assurance. Their new single ‘Tuck’ marked them as a band with potential, although it was the most pop of a set that was largely alt-rock. They were followed by White Room, who were trialling some new material. As always their stage presence and audience engagement proved to be their strength, particularly at the beginning and end of their set, but their three new songs lacked cohesion or unified direction.

Thyla stood out the most from the other bands on the lineup. They’re quite a subtle group, once you look past vocalist Millie Duthie’s penetrating voice (about which there is very little subtlety). They’re very tight in an understated, non-emphatic kind of a way: Danny Southwell was in the zone on the drums, never showing off but sitting right in the pocket, so that unless you focused directly on him you’d never notice just how good he is. His work with the bass, and the rhythmic interchange between the vocals and drums, gave the band an outside the box feel, although they stopped short of a truly choppy style.

Their overall impression is immersive, almost oceanic. They build soft waves of sound that create a sense of drift and dream, which become all the more effective when Duthie cuts through them with a jagged vocal melody. She has a wide vocal range, and can sing sweetly when she wants – but it’s really just crocodile sweetness. Something about the conviction she projects in her voice is powerful, and has an underlying sense that verges on the violent. Their recent single ‘Car Crash’ came off very well live, but if there’s one criticism to be made it’s that they needed to engage the crowd a bit more, and were even a bit wooden on stage.

Those who stayed for the end of the set got a lot from Thyla. They played by far the most interesting set of the night, but as the hour hand crept towards midnight, some in the crowd went seeking a more dancy atmosphere. They were perhaps victims of the uniformity of the styles on the bill – it’s not that the bands were all the same, but all sat well within the range of alt-rock. By the third hour, this became overwhelming, caused the styles to blend, and ultimately reduced the impact of every band. Nonetheless, Two Bob can congratulate themselves on a great first show with a smashing headline band.
Ben Noble