Bristol SWX: Saturday 22 June 2024
So, here we are at my first music gig of 2024 - and a new venue too. SWX in Bristol is not one I had heard of, but is a nice size at close to 1,800 and is just off the bustling city centre. There are balconies either side, and most importantly, the sound quality is excellent.
The other important thing to note is that this is the first gig my daughter has asked me to take her too. So, it is important for her (and her friend who comes along too) - and for me as a her music obsessed father. The question remains, will it be any good? I have heard a bit of Alvvays stuff in recent months, and I have liked what I have heard, but will it translate live?
Girl Scout:
Support comes from Girl Scout who hail from Stockholm. Unusually, the majority of the crowd seem to be in early and ready for some bonus music - and are more than receptive.
They enter to a thunder of drums, before settling into an nice and easy groove, I am starting to think 'Alvvays lite'. Guitarist Viktor Spasov is leaning into his work with gusto like he's Neil Young or something, while the singer, Emma Jansson, seems to be settling somewhere between Molly Rankin and Harriet Wheeler.
By the third song though, they are ebbing and flowing nicely, and starting to cut loose a bit. They play us their upcoming single, with some precision click drums and a chugging riff. The sixth song of the set was their previous single and has a great punky riff with some good driving drums - a really good tune. The last song of the set opens with a throbbing bassline and finished their thirty minutes in good style. Ultimately, it was a very good set, and they really grew into it, and those early fears they would just sound a bit like the main act and nothing more, were put to rest.
Alvvays:
As ever, the buzz grows as showtime nears. The crowd is in a state of high anticipation and provide a rapturous reception for our main act.
They are an interesting package. We are in proper nerd band territory - five band members who barely move for the whole set - pyrotechnics, showy lights (some interesting videos though) or running around. Guitarist Alec O'Hanley plays his parts with minimum fuss, keyboard player Kerri MacLellan and drummer Sheridan Riley add those exquisite extra vocal harmony layers, while bass player Abbey Blackwell seems happy enough, tucked away at the back of the stage, bobbing along.
Interestingly, there is also little between song chat, besides the odd Canadian pleasantry from excellent lead singer Molly Rankin. What we have here is no razzamatazz, just great music. So what of that music?
The band come on, there is the swell of feedback, and on strolls Molly Rankin and we are into Easy On Your Own? In Undertow is airy, but gently driving with a pleasing little bass line. Very Online Guy is a funky 80s tune, almost veering into OMD territory, complete with its double synth action.
Adult Diversion, from my limited knowledge of their tunes, is the one I was waiting for - it's an absolute banger! It is everything a great song should be (and luckily it turns out, they have quite a knack for this) - jangly, uplifting and with a huge, soaring chorus. Songs like the (it turns out) poorly named Bored In Bristol and Not My Baby, with its beautiful arpeggios and gently rolling chorus, slow things down a bit, but highlight how well the three singers blend so nicely.
(Alvvays: Adult Diversion [snippet])
Hey picks it right back up with a pulsing beat that makes way for some crunchy guitar, fully bursting into life as a brief diversion into pop punk - kind of like if Harriet Wheeler worked with Buzzcocks. Atop A Cake is bright and provides a crowd singalong from start. Riley's drumming is excellent throughout, but especially as it rolls under the middle eight. Tom Verlaine opens with slightly ethereal vocals which make way for an almost dirgy song, with possible hints of My Bloody Valentine. That bleeds into Belinda Says, which is slow but somehow still uplifting, with a bit of squally guitar to end.
Rankin appears to spend much of Tile By Tile trying to get her guitar back in tune, all very impressive as she continues to sing faultlessly! I think she blamed the heat in the room for the tuning issues. I look across at my daughter during the jaunty Pressed, and she is grinning from ear to ear. Dreams Tonite follows, more slow but gently uplifting pop, and then the synth-heavy swirl of Fourth Figure.
The crowd are back in the action. I've now lost count of the bangers, but this is another one - Marry Me, Archie is absolutely glorious. Then we are rocking out to another of my daughter's favourites (and one she thought they wouldn't play), the fantastically titled Pomeranian Spinster. The tempo comes back down at the start of Lottery Noises, with simple piano chords, before another big, chugging riff breaks out. And then we are into the break - parts of the crowd start chanting, "play more songs".
Alvvays duly oblige, and we are their return to the stage is marked by some really heavy feedback and the start of Pharmacist. At the end, O'Hanley is about as animated as he seems to get, thrashing away at an almost Weezer-esque solo. The show must end, sadly, but what a way to go out - the crowd goes absolutely nuts as they launch into Next Of Kin. They seem to have this knack for orchestrating these epic pre-choruses, that then build into a joyous chorus - it is a fitting and epic finale.
(Alvvays: Next Of Kin [snippet])
Now, what's this?
Usually, if a band is done in under ninety minutes I feel a little cheated. But not tonight. There is none of the between song banter and the tunes rarely last more than three minutes - and while this is no GBV length setlist, they have just crammed 22 awesome tunes into one hour and twenty minutes. Well worth the price of admission I'd say!
Setlist:
Easy On Your Own?
After The Earthquake
In Undertow
Many Mirrors
Very Online Guy
Adult Diversion
Bored In Bristol
Not My Baby
Hey
Atop A Cake
Tom Verlaine
Belinda Says
Tile By Tile
Velveteen
Pressed
Dreams Tonite
Fourth Figure
Archie, Marry Me
Pomeranian Spinster
Lottery Noises
Encore
21. Pharmacist
22. Next Of Kin