gigs
Saul blinks into the light looking as scuzzy and lost as ever as the band dive into a scrappy debut album single ‘Auto Neutron’. Its not long till Lias ditches the oversized, tattered brown suit and there we have it; The Fat Whites’ grubby aesthetic is restored.
The band storm through a ground-breaking set, whilst managing to remain looking as half soaked as ever. They weave effortlessly through a string of crowd favourites, from ‘Champagne Holocaust’ unnerving ‘Touch the Leather’ to the narcotic rings of their latest single ‘Whitest Boy on the Beach’.
Lias' glassy eyes scan the crowd from the safety of the monitors, as a sea of fists rise to ‘Bomb Disneyland’s’ sparse, disjointed chorus; whilst Saul scrambles hazily between the wings, the edge of the stage and inevitably the crowd over and over again before drawing the carnage to a close with a simple muffled “Cheers”.
Fat White Family, Manchester Acdemy,
27.2.16
YAK - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.
I really do think that its a huge shame that YAK have been thrown to the margins of the bottomless pit that is 'landfill indie' with the likes of 'Rat Boy'; especially when they have so much to offer, especially as a live band.
Oli Burslem's vocals mirror that of a less stylized Jake Bugg, he's a bit rough around the edges and manages to connect to his audience with a real passionate and emotional delivery.
Yak's short set at Cardiff's home of hardcore, Clwb Ifor Bach was a thing of manic beauty. With their grubby, punk aesthetic shining through throughout, slightly out of tune guitars and ferocious drumming that constantly builds tension and anticipation. I mean, they barely came up for air! and there you have it- you're hooked.
Its so hard to pick a highlight of a set with virtually no dull moments. But 'victorious', the opening track to 2016's "Alas Salvation".
has a real, "in your face" excellence about it and to be fair, its the only song that you need to listen to to get excited about YAK. A constant battle between the seductive slur of the bass and the electrifying, almost deranged screeches of Burslem's battered strat.
Yak bring a raw, angry yet organic energy to the stage - a sonic attack with real stomach churning effects. Its not one for the faint hearted but you will definitely not be disappointed.
YAK - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff 09.06.16
Fat White Family - Manchester Academy.
South London 6-piece Fat White Family venture out of their natural habitat to push every single boundary whilst airing out their latest album ‘Songs for our Mothers’
MUSIC.