New Year New Start Alldayer @The Well, Leeds

Despite their early start at 4.30pm, when Slow Science hit the stage at the Bombed Out Records’ New Year New Start, the venue is already alive with loyal fans of the DIY/independent punk label -from all over the country.  The yearly all-day event has been running on and off since 2001 and involves a selection of bands who have released records through the label. The Well itself is a rock venue/pub just outside of the city centre and has a history of promoting punk and metal bands, usually in a DIY fashion, like today.

Soon the loud and energetic 90s indie rock sound of Slow Science has the band room filled with excited faces.  With Stacey and Jon sharing vocals, the harmony effect is similar to 90s emo band Jejune, whilst the constant tempo changes, intricate guitar playing and energy make it feel fresh and exciting.  Stacey’s bass is turned up loud so that every note is booming through the speakers as she bounds around the stage with enthusiasm, the growling melody adding more to the band’s sound than just a rhythm section. Opening song, and also to their EP, ‘Kidnap to the South’, is a pop punk frenzy, with the distorted sound coming through the monitors creating a raw Husker Du feel.  Launching straight into ‘The Ballad of Joe “Mama” Besser’, the crowd is now fully on board, singing along to the contagious “wooooah” parts.   Slow Science have impressed with their polished playing that still doesn’t lose its old school raw feel.

After a tea break, Bedford Falls are up.  Formed in 2003 in Cardiff, the band has seen some line-up changes which now include Katie on bass and vocals, along with singer Tom.  The heavy bass drum and grunge-style of  slow guitars take the girls are right back to the 90s and Buffalo Tom.  Rocking straight through their first two songs, ‘Conner’ and ‘Prick’, Katie harmonises whilst shaking her bright red hair along to her playing.  Bedford Falls’s charm is how simple and catchy their riffs and tunes are, with lyrics which tell a story without being overly deep. ‘Prick’ is introduced as “a song about people who are a prick on the internet.”  A few good-hearted heckles from the crowd seem to make the band feel at home in Leeds, where they have played many times and are favourites in the local punk scene. There are faces in the crowd singing along to every word as the band switch between their stripped-down quiet verses and dynamic choruses, Katie’s harmonies adding a beautiful tone to their Samiam/Jawbreaker style of 90s emo punk.

Straight up next are Bristol’s Caves, the band that everyone seems to have been waiting all day to see. Offstage, lead singer and guitarist Lou is so polite that you may not expect her to be the super energetic and confident girl on stage that she is, screaming her heart into the microphone throughout Caves’ set.  The band is a three-piece very fast-paced pop punk band with the most addictive songs you can imagine.  And it is not only the songs that are addictive: the band’s presence is so full of passion and genuine excitement for what they are doing that it is impossible not to feel drawn in and part of this wonderful scene.  Crashing straight through opening songs ‘Sick and Tired’ and ‘The Mess I Made’, Lou jumps around, attacking her guitar with all of her energy, shouting out the lyrics with everything she has.  The crowd clearly love them, singing along with equal passion, fingers pointing in the air in time with the words. (Incidentally, Lou has also recently started a new band with Bedford Falls’ Katie, which is sure to be one to look out for.)

The constant changes in tempo keep everyone on their toes, with stop/start riffs, slow thrashing drums, intricate melodies and pure loud fast punk rock reminding us of The Get-up Kids and Superchunk.  Launching into the title track of the band’s 2011 debut album, Homeward Bound, Lou becomes more serious and describes the song as being “about coming back to what you know.”  Screaming, “I’m coming home” in the chorus, her passion for her music is more evident than ever.  As the crowd gets more and more excited for Caves, the Well gets very warm indeed and fans sing along to all the words of final songs ‘Bows and Arrows’ and ‘I’m Not Sorry’- a song dedicated to “anyone who stands up for who they actually are.”  The band have captured everyone’s hearts so much that a group of particularly appreciative fans at the front make themselves into a human pyramid to celebrate before Lou sings along with just drums and the voices of the crowd singing along, bringing the set to an amazing end.

The girls are have a quick chat with a tired but happy Lou afterwards to find out why she thinks Caves  are so well-received in Leeds. “At certain shows we do get this reaction.  When we play with lots of bands that we’ve played with before, like today, they are your mates and you know people in the crowd and this happens a lot in Leeds for us.  In our DIY punk scene, there are quite a few girls involved in our network but I don’t think there are in the wider scene.  I surround myself with positive people so don’t feel as though I’m different as a girl but we totally need to get more girls to play.”

The girls are agree.

Carrie Beth

Caves will return to Leeds in August for the Out of Spite weekend at the Brudenell Social Club.  Slow Science play The Fighting Cocks in Kingston on 2 March and The Portland Arms in Cambridge on 8 March and Bedford Falls are busy recording their new album.

Are you part of the Leeds DIY punk scene or other in your town or city? Is there a version of Bombed Out Records in your town? Please let us know.

 

What people have said so far…

2 comments

1. rob says:

   February 2, 2012 at 10:36 pm

   caves rule, their debut album hasnt left my car cd player in months…

   Reply
2. Steve says:

   February 11, 2012 at 2:57 pm

   Thanks Carrie for the awesome words and Georgia for the awesome photos! A great day all round I reckon.

   Reply