Seeing 16-year-olds flail around in mosh pits to some may be their idea of hell. The irritating knocks as you try to peer over sweaty heads to see what is actually happening onstage, having the constant threat of one of them hurling their old man’s whiskey cabinet back up at you. Not in this instance, not whatsoever. It was refreshing to see a band arrive onstage and visibly inspire a group of teenagers at the front. Watching bands like Yak is the reason why people start bands in the first place. Regardless of the fact the venue did not always play in their flavour, they didn’t half give a good go at lamenting their hard post-punk sound into the confines of Patterns, smearing themselves across the stage, desperate to leave a lasting impression.

Opening with single ‘Harbour The Feeling’, a song that on record carries more kick than a mule, was now pummelled into a crowd that arguably, were not quite expecting it. Immediately, a set of adoring fans hurled themselves towards the metal barrier, thrusting themselves into one another leaving frontman, Ollie Burslem, spitting vocals through a microphone that visibly quivered in front of him. Patterns was not quite at capacity therefore not necessarily willing to push the sticky, sweaty tarnish that so often propels the energy of Yak into a different realm altogether. Burslem tried to make the best of the situation however, bowling himself on top of the fifteen or so teenagers riling around in front of him.

As Yak progressed through the set, it carefully slipped along a tightrope of chaos, teetering upon the edge of control. It was this threat that made the set so glorious to watch though; guitars howled, the band barely stopped throughout the entire performance, ripping through fan favourites such as ‘Hungry Heart’ and ‘Smile’. The thunderous pace of ‘Hungry Heart’ riled along with members of the crowd breaking off into other segments of those chin-strokers that were intent on standing and gazing from a distance. Burslem’s vocals arrived in a drunken slur, packed with the ferocity of youth angst. They are largely relatable to anybody struggling from their mid-teens through to the early twenties; it is this factor that gives them such an influential role in inspiring the next generation of musicians. Often described wrongly in the press as being an obscure form of psychedelia, when you get down to the roots of Yak, they are purely punk and terrifying to watch live.

The constant squall of ‘Alas Salvation’ and the howling guitar parts featured various times throughout the set, cutting in and interjecting at any point throughout the set, threatening silence behind every corner. Even as Yak reach the tail end of their extensive touring scheduling, they still appear to be full of energy and passion within their live presence. Burslem’s refusal to depart the stage was enough to wind up sound engineers, however, this is a small price to pay considering the malleability of Yak within their live performance. There is nothing plastic or sculpted about the group, their performance continues until they literally get turned off, it is so refreshing to see a band that are willing to pour so much soul into their show. Songs on the record carry the same energy, however, you feel as if you are getting so much more for your money. It is becoming a shame in the modern day how live performances are precisely the same as the recorded format, they carry the same execution and suggest nothing different. Essentially it is a live performing of the record. Yak are a reminder that there is more that can be offered from a stage, instead of them impersonating their record, their record impersonates them.

‘Use Somebody’ finally ticks the night off following the brutality of ‘Curtain Twitcher’, as the song rumbles along, cuts into King Crimson affirm the band’s roots somewhat further. After being politely reminded that five minutes remain, Burslem equally politely declined and after turning the lights off, trying to encourage the band to leave the stage, the curtain finally fell with the instruments being cut. It was a savage reminder of how music should be performed and the teenagers at the front who had spent the best part of an hour haring around were left with dazed grins upon their faces. This is why you want to rebel at sixteen. This is why you get teenage kicks. This is why you start a band.
Tom Churchill

Website:yak.lnk.to/album
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