When The Coral announced their first headline tour in over three years, 2000s gig-goers across the UK raided Ticketmaster. And rightly so. Travelling to over twelve UK-wide venues, the English rock band reminisced on the 20th Anniversary of their self-titled debut album. And most recently, the band headed to Nottingham Trent's SU The Level. Maia Gibbs reviews.
It was a remarkably impressive student indeed – with two levels for maximum music viewing potential – it definitely put our own ‘Uni of’ venues to shame. Although my suspicions tell me it was mainly funded by the quite pricey IPA and house lager.
It was a perfect size for the indie and rock hoards, and definitely accommodating to the support acts - upcoming artists The Dream Machine and Louis Croft.
A Nottingham native, Croft has certainly found his voice among his Midland contemporaries. On the spectrum between Jake Bugg and Sleaford Mods, he stands towards the former. A mixture of youthful malaise and romantic ramblings, he’s definitely one for fans of the acoustic set and indie folk. His songs deal with missed relationships, conflicting feelings and growing up. A time-old musical concoction for a new artist – but the subject matter works everytime.
Despite a few technical difficulties (with many a call to the sound man to stop the delay on his guitar) he powered through. Definitely catching the attention of The Coral fans slowly filtering in, turning with pint in hand from their conversations to watch the blossoming guitarist.
And catching attention was not a skill lost on The Dream Machine either. Taking to the stage in what appeared to be psychedelic church gowns/wizard cosplay, I have never been so sure a group of lads have smoked something in my life. And with their rocky track Too Stoned to Die, I believe my hypothesis was proven true.
''It’s a rare thing to see a new band and to see something completely different''
I think it was the lack of whimsy comment about the outfits which made them so brilliant. Along with the excellent tunes of course. It’s a rare thing to see a new band and to see something completely different. Sure, the 70s, hallucigen inspirations were clear but it’s spectacular to see them performed by some 20 something kids from New Brighton.
The screaming of lyrics such as ‘kill me, ah kill me, kill me for the second time’ and ‘slay me, just maybe’ cut through the audience, drawing all eyes to the masses of garments and hair. With their Instagram bio describing them as a ‘religious organisation’, they are one those bands which will naturally acquire a fanatic cult following. I, even, had to remind myself that they were not the main event.
The interlude between The Dream Machine and The Coral saw a dash to the bar, and people scouring for spots on the balcony. It was really an eclectic audience of all ages, shapes and sizes. Scenes of day dresses, Pretty Green raincoats and Oxford shirts were littered across the crowd. It’s a credit to the band, seeing fans both new and old, return for the platinum anniversary.
And they certainly repaid us for our loyalty. Jumping straight in with Dreaming of You – no teasing, no playing about, if anything not enough flirting.
Nearly all the songs were a delight to listen to - that famously trippy blend of dub reggae, Merseybeat, psychedelia and country matured like fine, probably laced, wine. Backlit by that famous mosaic album cover and garishly coloured stage lights, the show did present itself as a coming home of sorts.
And I guess that would lead to my only criticism. There is often an equilibrium that is needed between an audience and a band – a pull and push, a give and take. And at some points it did appear that the band rather leaned, or trust-fell, onto the audience, relying on nostalgia and their return to live gigging to carry on the show.
''While some jumped, headbanged and shouted, others swayed and tapped their feet''
And I guess with such an eclectic audience, of differing ages, the capabilities in carrying the band was equally differing. While some jumped, headbanged and shouted, others swayed and tapped their feet. Some delighted in the rare moments of new music, while others were obviously uninterested.
Yet despite this, the love of the music was still there. And that’s all you really need to ask for.
You should check out the surprise releases of their remastered 2001 Shadows Fall EP in digital format, and the special reissue of The Coral, with two unreleased, never-before-heard tracks: She’s The Girl For Me and Tumble Graves. They appear on the all-formats bonus disc, alongside a complete singles B-sides collection, as well as The Coral’s pre-album EP, The Oldest Path.
Maia Gibbs
Edited by: Amrit Virdi
Comentários