THE FRONT ROW

Friday 24th of November is the date for 6 Music’s 16th annual T-shirt Day. Never underestimate the power of merch. It was the fact that I spotted members of various bands wearing Holy Coves T-shirts that first brought the Anglesey based psych-rockers to my attention. Thanks to a top line-up courtesy of Softlad Promotions at Liverpool’s Jacaranda I was able to see what all the sartorial fuss was about.

As the evening started, outside it was a wet and wintery 2023, but inside the basement of The Jacaranda, youthful Derby quintet Marseille were doing their best to take us back to the first and second ‘Summer’s of Love’. There’s an element of Byrdslike 60’s psychedelia in there, but the majority of Marseille’s jangly sound owes a big debt to The Stone Roses, The Charlatans, and Northside.

There was a floppy-fringed cockiness to Marseille’s performance, a justified cockiness built on genuine self-belief and talent. Their set started dramatically with the forceful, pacey FREEDOM. Their set reached peak Madchester with Brightest Star and This Dream of Mine. Lead singer Will Brown moves like his name sake Ian, but sings in a manner more akin to Tim Burgess. During the final song State of Mind lead guitarist Joe Labram played a solo that went on so long it reminded me of John Squire’s huge performance of Fool’s Gold during the final scenes of Made of Stone. I don’t know what Derby’s equivalent of Heaton Park is, but Marseille have got their exit music sorted.

Brimming with post-punk angst Liverpool quintet THIS IS WAR! opened their lively set with their latest single Laces. Lead singer Paul Carden (formerly of The Black Velvets) as well as having a demonstrative stage presence, has an expressive vocal style that mixes John Lydon’s tremolo with Ian Dury’s subtlety of expression. Carden’ punk vocals are backed by a talented band who aren’t afraid to demonstrate their abilities and so place the the band’s sound somewhere in the New Wave/Power Pop borderlands previously inhabited by artists like XTC, Wire, and Elvis Costello and The Attractions.

No subject seemed to be out of bounds for THIS IS WAR! Topics ranged from corporate greed – in the disco infused CEO, to the occasion the band’s bass player suffered some mental health issues that required him to be sectioned – Crazy Luca.

At the top of this piece I classed North Wales quartet Holy Coves as a psych-rock band. Like all attempts to pigeon hole a band’s musical style it falls somewhat short. In some of the Holy Coves’ promotional material they refer to themselves as a Welsh Awen Rock band. Awen is a Celtic inspirational muse of poets and other creative artists. A great deal of the material in the Holy Coves set came from their 2022 album full of melodious mysticism, appropriately titled Druids and Bards.

Picture in your mind the rugged beauty of the Isle of Anglesey. Now picture a band who’s latest album is titled Druids and Bards. Now picture the lead singer of that band. I bet you’re not too far off. Powerfully built, bearded and with a shaggy, windswept mane of hair, singer Scott Marsden fronts the band as they take to the stage, and through a barrage of feedback launch their set with Let’s Go. It’s a romping, rhythmic assault that allowed drummer Jay Demarco to flex his heavy guns to the maximum.

Next came The Hurt Within a song with a ‘Big Sky’ feeling, the type of song that wouldn’t be out of place in a Tarantino road movie. Desert Storm was a glowering stomper where singer Marsden introspectively examined his struggles with drugs. Most anticipated song of the night was Droner, a song from their previous album Peruvian Mistake, a song that drifted into shoegaze territory, allowed guitarist Dav Williams to give full range to his extensive pedalboard, and sonically does what it says on the tin. Holy Coves brought the evening to a close with Taste The Wine a meandering, swirling effects laden epic, urging the crowd to live in the ‘now’ – Marsden’s uplifting vocals offering a sense of hope. A great sentiment to leave the crowd with.

So, wear your band T-shirts with pride. You never know who you may be inspiring.

Ian Dunphy.