The first commandment of rock: Thou shalt not book a superior support act. From the moment The Wombats took to the stage in The Village, they demanded attention and laid claim to the evening.
An exuberant performance coupled with generous doses of engaging banter (getting us to count them in at one point) made for a highly compelling set.
The music was just as captivating – songs swerved off in divergent directions, eschewing predictable melodies.
‘Kill The Director’, ‘Backfire At The Disco’ and new single ‘Let’s Dance To Joy Division’ sealed the deal and material from the forthcoming A Guide To Love, Loss and Desperation bode well for the Liverpudlians’ debut long-player.
The climax of the high-jinks was a first in my gig-going tenure; a race up and down the venue by three teams of audience members each carrying a mischievous musician! How refreshing to see an act so intent on enjoying themselves and ensuring the crowd do too.
The Holloways’ half of the evening paled in comparison. ‘Generator’, ‘Dancefloor’ and ‘Two Left Feet’ were inevitable crowd-pleasers, but the band’s aura of indifference, half-hearted attempts at repartee and clumsy performance made for painful viewing.
Their inoffensive blend of Libertines-influenced indie/ska/punk is not without its charms. But the jaunty reggae basslines, calypso melodies and cajun fiddle flourishes hint at hidden depths which unfortunately remain well-concealed in a muddy pastiche.