James Arden checks out the garage rockers latest album.
The Christian rock band from Brighton bring religion to the masses.
Recipe for modern R'n'B album: liberal helpings of guest rappers and an overdose of sexual euphemisms.
STEREO, situated on Gillygate, doesn't appear newly redecorated like Fibbers, and it isn’t huge like Tokyo. However, this is far from a bad thing - its old school rock and roll, a warm and intimate venue with a modest capacity of 120 that has seen the likes of punk rockers Anti-Nowhere League and Scottish alt-rockers Glasvegas grace its small stage.
Thursday night at STEREO brought a musical mix of the old and the new, as up and coming band Chuck Jager supported Henry Cluney of legendary Irish punk band Stiff Little Fingers. The snow may have caused a fairly low turnout, but those that did make the effort were treated to a night of great music.
First up, sitting in a circle, the crowd was treated to an interesting session of punk poetry focusing on comics, Pokémon and Shakespeare’s The Tempest. This was followed by an entertaining acoustic set, with standout song 'Happy Christmas you Bastards' getting the crowd in a festive mood.
The crowd then picked up significantly before Chuck Jager took to the blue-lit stage. Made up of Rory, Luke, Greg and Karl, the four-piece band from the University of York played a tight set of indie pop rock, with vibes of blues and punk filling out their catchy collection of songs. Highlights included 'Sink or Swim', featuring a fantastic harmonica solo by front-man Rory, a excellent cover of Mystery Jets’ 'Serotonin', and 'Purple Words' – clearly the band’s big number. For the final song, 'New Edition Blues', the boys made sure to go out on a bang, playing their hearts out and recovering mid-song from a broken guitar string in true rock and roll fashion.
The headliner of the night was Henry Cluney, former member of Stiff Little Fingers, which some punk fans may recognize as one of Green Day's main influences. For those, like me, who hadn’t heard Stiff Little Fingers before, their influence on modern punk soon became clear during Cluney’s set - a fusion of Celtic melodies, punk riffs and anarchic lyrics. Despite reading all his own lyrics off sheets, Cluney managed to recreate the energy of his punk-fuelled youth, moving around the stage and attacking his guitar throughout the set. A few hardcore fans helped ignite the crowd, singing along to almost every song.
Standout performance, however, must go to Chuck Jager. Well rehearsed and well performed, the band clearly cares about each and every gig, no matter how small the crowd. Their collaborative musical presence brings indie energies similar to that of We Are Scientists and Two Door Cinema Club. With catchy riffs, big solos and impressive live performances, don’t be surprised if these guys are headlining York’s very own Woodstock come summer term!
You must log in to submit a comment.
