Opening the evening were Quade. I have mentioned these guys before. They craft expansive ‘math rock’. Intricately devised songs that seem both complicated and simple at the same time. I really like these guys. They are different from most bands around at the moment.

Squid enter the stage to cries of ‘Houseplants’ from the crowd. Ollie, with a smirk on his face knows something we don’t.

A few days before this gig, Squid announced their second album, Monolith. To my surprise, and I think most of the audience, the set drew heavily from their next album and even material from destined for album 3, while fan favourites like Houseplants were left uncared for in the dressing room. They appear to be heading in a new direction, away from the immediacy of their EP and singles like ‘Houseplants’ to a intricate almost post-classical direction. One song seemed to lift elements of Steve Reich’s ‘New York ‘Electric Counterpoint’ with precise repetitions played on the guitar.

I’m not sure Squid read the room right. While not abusive. Numerous people in the audience were noisy as they played their new material. A certain points there were lots of cries of ‘yeah’ that happen when people really don’t know how to process the sounds they are hearing and want to inject their own pace Into the proceedings. At one point there is another cry of ‘Houseplants’ from the audience. Ollie seemingly starts to play it and then launches into some materials. But some fan favourites did make the set, with the younger audience singing every word.

Leaving the stage without playing many fan favourites. There was an expectation of an encore. Even when the lights came on, no one really wanted to leave in the hope that they would come back, but it was not to be.

I honestly can’t decide if I enjoyed tonight or not. I am the first to say that bands should develop as artists, even if it means not brining the audience with them. While I think they were the best of Black Midi, Black Country, New Country, group, because of their ability to craft really danceable indie songs. I think I will like the new album. They have to develop into the artists they want to be. But I also feel it was a bit mean spirited to treat the audience who haven’t seen them for some time with almost gleeful contempt over many wanting to hear ‘their hit’. We had after all paid to hear them play music from an album they haven’t had a chance to tour.

Set List

• Undergrowth
• If You Had Seen The Bull’s Swimming Attempts You Would Have Stayed Away
• GSK
• Bank
• Devil’s Den
• After The Flash
• Peel Street
• DFM
• Fieldworks
• Narrator
• Swing

I can’t say I was pleased to find Qlowski cancelled late in the day. But they can’t help being ill. I have to admit, I considered giving the gig a miss but as I was already in London, I decided to go anyway. 

As I entered the room, there was a rather obvious table covered in a cloth in the centre of the room. I assumed it was a projector of something and didn’t give it a second though.

Opening the evening were Quade. I was even more impressed this time. I love their laid back math rock.

The reason for the cloth covered table became apparent when the lights went down and the only light in the room came from the table, now with two people twiddling knobs. I recently had a discussion with a friend about pit parties. I liked them, they didn’t. But this was the first ‘pit party’ where I wasn’t ‘at the front’. I simply couldn’t see anything and for me, live performances is sight and sound. I am afraid most of the set was like I was hearing my neighbours play their music loudly. Most of the set I felt disconnected from the music and I the performance didn’t work for me.

Towards the end of their set, two guys went on to the stage and accompanied cvcvc. These were Deliluh. Their singer then leaving the stage walking around the pit singing. They then continued into their own set.

Have to admit, I haven’t seen this before and liked this bit of the set. The extra instruments and new vocalist spiced up the set.

After the singer returned to the stage they just kept playing straight into their own set. I don’t think I have ever seen this before but it was a great way to transition between the two bands.

Deliluh’s own set mixed guitars, saxophones with electronics and samples to create layers of ambient and noise rock. It was all pretty good and I would happily catch another performance.

First up were Quade. After a slew of more experimental rock bands like Black Midi and New Country Old Road, Quade are a four piece willing to playing indie with wider influences. The four piece featured a fiddle player who added an extra dimension.

Polyscraps were another band mixing styles. Featuring seven members including a trombone and singer escaped from an 80s pub rock band with gruff voice, they weren’t afraid to hit us with a bit of funk.

I hate when bands turn up late. They mess up the day’s schedule. Messing up a Saturday lineup often means I miss part of the headliner’s set, who are often the reason for me attending. In Tongues turned up late pushing back the schedule so that I knew I was going to miss some of the headline set. It’s a good job therefore, that they turned in a good set. My favourite of the day.

The Early Mornings set was error strewn. With the drummer often playing at the wrong speed. In fairness, he looked like he wanted to play faster music in a punk band. But mistakes usually only detract when you don’t like the music. But I was enjoying the set and their music. But to be brutally honest, in the cold light of day, I can’t actually remember much about the music! (and I wasn’t even drinking)

Closing the evening were the Bug Club. In 2021 they released the enjoyable garage rock album, Pure Particles. Listening to the album they sounded like the Lovely Eggs crossed with the Velvet Underground. In reality, they lacked the energy and humour of the Lovely Eggs. But the Velvet inspiration was right at the fore, maybe too much. ‘My Baby Love’s Rock’n’Roll Music’ feels like a ripoff of the VU. As much as I love the VU and New York bands who still wear the VU influence on their sleeves, for some reason Bug Club didn’t work as well as I hoped. I think my expectations of a Lovely Eggs vibe meant I didn’t enjoy the gig as much as I thought I would. Given how much I enjoyed their album, at some point I will have to catch them again and give them another go.

All in all. Not a bad day’s music for the price of a pint.

Gallery from the day