THE FRONT ROW

Liverpool is a big city. But in some ways it can be a bit of a village. Whatever your proclivities are, be it arc-welding or stamp collecting, fairly soon you’re going to be mixing with all the people who share your interest. And so it was that Spanish Caravan on Slater Street became the village pub for those citizens whose shared passion is independent, live music.

Spanish Caravan was the wristband collection-point for Sound City 2024, and my day started watching local, young, singer-songwriter Harry McKenny. I say watching, so packed was the venue that I was actually stood at the venue’s doorway, peering at him in the distance. He played a promising set consisting of his own material and a very good acoustic cover of Praise You. He does not yet have any material out there for streaming, but will soon be heading to Liverpool’s Motor Museum Studio to rectify that. Watch this space.

One of Miles Temp‘s songs is called Crowded Room. And that is just what faced the young, Liverpool singer songwriter as he took to the stage at The Jacaranda. Miles had a distinctive vocal style, crystal clear, high pitched, with a hint of vibrato; mixing this with delicate acoustic guitar Temp produced a captivating set of passionate, moving songs which included Polaroid Picture and most recent single Wasn’t There.

Although he and his band are from Manchester, 17 year-old Alex Spencer spends so much time in Liverpool he’s in danger of becoming an Honourary Scouser. His most recent sighting was last month supporting Keyside’s sold-out hometown show at the Arts Club Loft. His early afternoon slot at Sound City was played in the same venue, only this time the audience was solely for him.

The songs in his set, like most recent single Fear Will Kill The Future, One Step Forward, and One Way Ticket brimmed with catchy guitar riffs, twinkling keyboards and most importantly, youthful hope. Spare a thought for keyboard player Harrison, who did that much clapping during the drops in each song that he must have the hardest hands in showbusiness.

Staying in the Arts Club Loft, I was slightly disappointed by the performance of Glasgow Alt-Rockers Resister. Unfortunately, guitarist and lead vocalist Connor Dowell was suffering from some sort of throat infection and struggled to hit the notes at the end of every line. Wearing a black leather jacket, under the notoriously hot lights of the Arts Club Loft, he was sweating profusely, and looked like he was suffering from malaria. Lead vocal duties were taken over by bare chested drummer Robert Lang. The band battled on valiantly, but without Dowell’s vocals, song’s like Get Some and Sarah lost much of their potency. Having previously listened to some of Resister’s material, it’s safe to say that this was not a show on which to accurately assess their capabilities.

As I waited outside the Shipping Forecast to see London, Lo-fi purveyors Pynch, I was stood next to the lead singer of one Liverpool’s leading Indie bands who told me ‘These are the only non-Scouse band I want to see all weekend’. High praise indeed. So keen were people to see Pynch’s debut Liverpool performance that the venue was operating a one-in, one-out policy from the outset.

Pynch have been described as an ‘Emo daft punk’, their mix of live guitars, bass, and drums, with loops and luscious, lo-fi synths, under Spencer Enock’s measured vocals brought to mind The Flaming Lips. Pick of their set was Karaoke which sounded like a heady, mash-up of Dinosaur Jr and St Etienne.

Liverpool quartet The Sway did not look out of place in the large, ornate, Art Nouveau setting of Grand Central Hall. They not only appeared to relish the challenge of playing the 1200 capacity room, they seemed to thoroughly enjoy the experience. ‘You’re only here to make sure you’re in for Red Rum Club’ joked singer/guitarist Ciaran Smith. Not true Ciaran, not true.

The Sway have a solid, dependable back-line in Harry Robertson (drums), and Sean Knibb (bass), but it’s at the top end of the pitch where they are at their strongest. As the band proceeded effortlessly through their breezy set of jangly, harmonious tunes – The Dreamer, Changing, Woman, and Sunshine Seeker – lead vocal duties zig-zagged seamlessly between Smith, guitarist Ryan McNee, and Keyboard player/guitarist Aidan McLean.

Just as predicted by The Sway’s Ciaran Smith, Grand Central Hall was bursting at the gills for the performance of local favourites Red Rum Club. Following on from their recent headline show at the M+S Arena, this gig felt like a valedictorian ‘Lap of Honour’ prior to the band embarking on their US tour.

The majority of the set came from the band’s recently released, third album Western Approaches. Their set started dramatically with the galloping Godless, and pulsating Black Cat. The crowd in the stalls bounced along to Alive and Undertaker before the relatively slight respite provided by Afternoon and Daisy. Highlights of Red Rum Club’s set were undoubtedly – Hole In My Home – it was early evening but you got the feeling that the crowd could have happily stayed all night accompanying vocalist Fran Doran with the song’s lingering last lines – and there was no way anyone was going to leave until they had the chance to ‘Who- Ha’ and sing along to Would You Rather Be Lonely.

It was time for my first visit of the weekend to the Arts Club Theatre. And quite the introduction it was too, as King No One played out a fittingly theatrical set of Alt-Pop/Rock songs, riven through with punk panache. You couldn’t take your eyes off Singer Zach Lount for a second. Dressed in what looked like an old Freddie Mercury cavalry outfit, he first mounted the monitors, then clung to the crowd, before finally scaling the interior features of the Arts Club Theatre in a vain attempt to access it’s upper reaches. King No One’s songs may have a heavy Alt-Pop sound, but the aggressive delivery, and lyrical content of songs such as Not Willing To Sacrifice My Life and Antichrist were pure punk.

Less theatrically dressed, but putting in an equally powerful performance were Liverpool quartet The Kairos. In a similar way to The Sway earlier in the day, The Kairos looked completely at home in front of a crowded Arts Club Theatre. Indeed, the only time there wasn’t a smile on singer/guitarist Tom Dempsey’s face was when he was singing. Unlike their compatriots, The Kairos have a much a more energetic, heavier indie-rock sound built on the solid foundations laid down by Sam Bradley’s powerful drumming and Owen Forrester’s precision bass playing.

The Kairos opened with the bombastic Suspend a song ripe with searing guitar riffs provided by Lewis Chambers, and bellowed Scouse, vocals from Dempsey. With energy, pace, and potency The Kairos raced through a relentless set that included amongst others Thick of It, Better Late Than Never, P.O.P., Lazy Lethargic, and came to a climax with Teetotal

One of the most welcome changes to the organisation of this year’s Sound City was the ability to move freely between the two venues within the Arts Club building. In previous years if you had been watching a band in the Theatre, and then wanted to see a band in the Loft, you had to go outside and queue to get back in again. Not this year, and at the conclusion of The Kairos’ set many of their audience scurried up one of the three internal staircase like ants in a formicary, scrambling to see The Lottery Winners.

So packed was the Arts Club Loft that The Lottery Winners‘ Thom Rylance’s first remarks to the crowd, after playing opening song Worry, were ‘Hello Liverpool! Is this a fire hazard or what?’. Safety concerns put aside, Lottery Winners launched into the jaunty Favourite Flavour, and the self motivational pep-talk that is Letter to Myself. ‘This is my best mate, Rob Lally’ said Rylance, pointing to the bushy-bearded guitarist on his right ‘And he’s going to teach you the chorus to this next song.’ Before the first syllable came out of Lally’s mouth, the massed ranks of the Arts Club Loft heartily sang back ‘I already feel much better. I already feel much better’. One of the disadvantages of having a number one album, and playing festival main stages is that everyone knows your patter. The post pandemic, call to arms, Frank Turner collaboration, Start Again got an outing, and despite Rylance’s earlier comments about fire hazards The Lottery Winners finished their set with a rousing rendition of Burning House. I managed to safely exit the building and had successfully negotiated day one of Sound City 2024.

Words – Ian Dunphy

Photographs – Alison Dunphy.