Three three-piece bands for free! This was a spontaneous night out thanks to free tickets via the Brudenell Facebook page (Thanks Nathan!). When I saw ‘Like this for the chance of winning Traams tickets’ I thought…..Bernard Butler…..why not…..(presses ‘like’)…..except he’s playing with Trans not Traams……anyhow…..tickets were won and as Sledge loves Cowtown and I enjoyed Alaska when they supported Public Service Broadcasting, we went along – and I’m bloody glad we did!
I too am now a Cowtown convert. Revved up pop songs that remind you of Devo (or was it just subliminal messages from the T-shirt). Great fun with superb guitar playing, superb drumming and mega superb bass lines c/o what looks like a mini-moog. Their Dudes Vs Bad Dudes LP is worth some of your earth pounds……one to watch!
A hard act to follow but Alaska tried and breezed through their set, aided and abbetted by their parents, happily dancing and fixing the drum set when needed.
Traams were just fantastic. Indie drums and bass to die for with an intensity of guitar playing you don’t often see. Reminded me of what Tony Wilson said about Joy Division “They weren’t on stage because they wanted to be there, but because they had to be”. There were a couple of longer jams that had me totally entranced – The dancing bass player (a cross between JJ Burnell and Andy McCluskey) sparring with the guitarist leaning in – I would have been quite happy for them to go on all night.
Sometimes the best things in life are free…..
Bob the Chiropodist