THE SUBWAYS + GAFFA TAPE SANDY + CATBEAR – CHALK, BRIGHTON 3.2.23
The Subways
Hertfordshire indie punk favourites The Subways came to Chalk on Friday as part of their rescheduled tour. The tour coincides with the release of their fifth studio album ‘Uncertain Joys’ released on 13th January 2023 via Alcopop! Records. The Subways are Billy Lunn (guitar and vocals), Charlotte Cooper (bass and vocals) and Camille Phillips (drums).
The Chalk stage looked very empty for The Subways set with the kit of the support bands packed away. Just a drum kit at the back, with keyboards discretely off to the side of the stage, and a couple of mic stands at the stage. This did allow the two guitarists and vocalists, Billy and Charlotte, space to move around during the set, which they certainly did. More on that later.
The Subways came on stage at 8:25pm to ‘Pure Imagination’ from the film ‘Charlie And The Chocolate Factory’ and a few bars of Vangelis’s ‘Chariots Of Fire’.
Launching into the first song of the set, ‘Oh Yeah’, the crowd at Chalk were straight onto backing vocals duties, singing along on this and all through the set.
The second song, ‘Black Wax’ started with a heavy drum sound from Camille Phillips and bassline. Sometimes bassists tend to stand to the side out of the limelight. Not the case with Charlotte, who was wearing a very glittery jacket, with Converse trainers to match, the right one pink, the left one silver.
Trainers turned out to be a good choice of footwear given the rushing around the stage by both Charlotte and lead singer Billy. They must have covered every inch of the stage, rarely standing still unless singing at their mics.
The running around during songs did cause a slight false end to one song, when Billy stood on the lead from his guitar. I doubt many would’ve noticed it, if he hadn’t mentioned it.
Billy spoke a lot to the audience and did like to give an explanation of almost all the songs before playing them. Some were personal stories with tales that ranged from working in a hotel as linen porter, a night out with a friend who’d lost his job in an underpants factory, and writing a song to cheer up his Mum. Plus, a bit too much detail about ‘You Kill My Cool’ and what he gets up to with his lover. Some songs, such as ‘Influencer Killed The Rock Star’, as he rightly said, didn’t need a backstory to understand the subject matter.
To encourage the developing mosh pit, Billy introduced ‘Turn Around’ saying that he wanted to see people dancing and moshing to “Charlotte’s filthy bassline”.
There was variety in The Subways set, among The 100-mph indie punk sound were a few relatively slower tracks such as ‘I Wanna Hear What You Have Got To Say’.
As well as the change in tempo, The Subways have added keyboards to their sound. Like many bands over lockdown, they tried out different sounds and instruments. Billy explained how he fell in love with keyboards during lockdown and wanted to include them more in his signwriting. ‘Love Waiting On You’ from the new album ‘Uncertain Joys’ saw Charlotte swap bass for the keyboards. Probably one of the few times that either she or Billy stood in one spot during the set.
Rather than the conventional encore taking a short break and returning, The Subways played on. The explanation was that they didn’t like leaving the stage, so they’d play on. Makes sense.
The encore that wasn’t an encore started with ‘Girls And Boys’, followed by ‘With You’. This was dedicated to the crowd and the fans who made the last 20 years possible for the band to do what they enjoy, making and playing music. They also proclaimed their love of Brighton, and especially drummer Camille, who has moved here.
The penultimate track of the set was “a little bit disco” according to Billy. ‘Uncertain Joys’, the title track from their latest album, did have a different feel from the post-punk sound of most of their set.
Unsurprisingly The Subways saved their biggest song to the end, ‘Rock & Roll Queen’. Having covered virtually all of the stage, Billy staged dived and crowdsurfed during the final song of the set. A fitting end to a very lively and entertaining set.
The Subways:
Billy Lunn – guitar and vocals
Charlotte Cooper – bass and vocals
Camille Phillips – drums
The Subways setlist:
(Intro tape) (‘Pure Imagination’ by Gene Wilder from ‘Charlie And The Chocolate Factory’ / ‘Chariots Of Fire’ by Vangelis)
‘Oh Yeah’ (from 2005 album ‘Young For Eternity’)
‘Black Wax’ (from 2023 album ‘Uncertain Joys’)
‘We Don’t Need Money To Have A Good Time’ (from 2011 album ‘Money And Celebrity’)
‘Mary’ (from 2005 album ‘Young For Eternity’)
‘Taking All The Blame’ (from 2015 album ‘The Subways’)
‘Kalifornia’ (from 2008 album ‘All Or Nothing’)
‘You Kill My Cool’ (from 2023 album ‘Uncertain Joys’)
‘Turnaround’ (from 2008 album ‘All Or Nothing’)
‘I Want To Hear What You Have Got To Say’ (from 2005 album ‘Young For Eternity’)
‘Influencer Killed The Rock Star’ (from 2023 album ‘Uncertain Joys’)
‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ (from 2011 album ‘Money And Celebrity’)
‘Love Waiting On You’ (from 2023 album ‘Uncertain Joys’)
‘Girls & Boys’ (from 2008 album ‘All Or Nothing’)
‘With You’ (from 2005 album ‘Young For Eternity’)
‘Uncertain Joys’ (from 2023 album ‘Uncertain Joys’)
‘Rock & Roll Queen’ (from 2005 album ‘Young For Eternity’)
Gaffa Tape Sandy
Brighton based garage rock/punk band, Gaffa Tape Sandy were the middle band on the bill at Chalk on Friday. Formed in 2015 in Bury St Edmunds, Gaffa Tape Sandy are singer-guitarist Kim Jarvis, singer-bassist Catherine Neilson and drummer Robin Francis.
Starting at 7:54pm, the beginning of Gaffa Tape Sandy’s set may have taken a few people in the audience a little unawares. Kim Jarvis’s vocal soundcheck seemed to merge straight into the first track of the set, ‘Water Bottle’. No mistaking that the band had started once the punk frenzy of this track kicked in.
Before the next track Kim explains how this hometown stop on The Subways tour meant they could have a lie in. Nothing sleepy about the next track (or their entire set for that matter) launching straight into ‘My Desperate House’.
Bass player, Catherine Neilson, took over lead vocals on the following number ‘Meat Head’. The swapping of lead vocals and sharing vocals worked well between Kim and Catherine. The back-and-forth vocals between them worked particularly well on ‘Headlights’.
‘Dinner Jacket’ one of their early songs and a mellower song gave a good contrast to the punk fury in Gaffa Tape Sandy’s set. This also showed off Catherine’s different vocal styles, as well as the band’s ability to mix up different sounds in their set.
The penultimate song ‘Beehive’ was very catchy with a chorus you just find yourself joining in with on the “La da da da da daa” even if you’ve never heard the song before.
Gaffa Tape Sandy took the opportunity to showcase some new unreleased material, notably ‘Evil Evil Evil’ and ‘Split’, which closed a very lively and enjoyable set.
Gaffa Tape Sandy’s performance was more polished and slicker than at their Mutations Festival performance at Latest Music Bar last summer, while still retaining that raw energy and passion, so characteristic of their live shows. A positive development! They definitely gained some new fans, from those who were seeing them for the first time this evening.
Gaffa Tape Sandy:
Kim Jarvis – vocals, guitar
Catherine Neilson – vocals, bass
Robin Francis – drums
Gaffa Tape Sandy setlist:
‘Water Bottle’ (from 2017 ‘Spring Killing’ EP)
‘My Desperate House’ (from 2019 album ‘Family Mammal’)
‘Meat Head’ (from 2019 album ‘Family Mammal’)
‘Evil Evil Evil’ (unreleased)
‘Dinner Jacket’ (from 2019 album ‘Family Mammal’)
‘Headlights’ (from 2019 album ‘Family Mammal’)
‘Devour’ (unreleased)
‘So Dry’ (from 2019 album ‘Family Mammal’)
‘Beehive’ (from 2019 album ‘Family Mammal’)
‘Spilt’ (unreleased)
CATBEAR
Opening for Subways on this tour was a new band to me, CATBEAR, who describe themselves as “Just your regular indie-alternative-synth-pop-electronic-queer-riot-grrl-band.”
CATBEAR is a synth-heavy, indie alt pop project formed by Zoe Konez and Sarah Smith, who are best friends and started out writing songs out of the conversations with best friends that they have. They turn their deep life-chats into vibrant, upbeat songs. Zoe and Sarah have recently been joined by Marina on keyboards (in fact three sets of Novation keyboards) for live shows.
CATBEAR started promptly at 7:16pm, with a deep synth bass sound on ‘Only Desire’, followed by ‘Who Are You?’. ‘In The Night’, which was about those times when you just can’t be bothered going out, was a catchy dance number with keyboard sound reminiscent of Giorgio Moroder.
The fourth track in the set was CATBEAR’s latest release ‘I Choose Love’, which is about respecting yourself and others and each other’s choices. This was a slower song with hints of The Passions and The Cure. ‘Beast Of The Night’ was also a slower reflective song.
For the final song of their set ‘Love And War’, CATBEAR were joined on stage by Billy Lunn of headliners The Subways on guitar. The keyboards on this upbeat track seemed to have hints of The Jam’s ‘Eton Rifles’.
CATBEAR’s performance was very impressive. They seemed to grow in confidence through their set. Their synth pop sound did have influences from the 1980’s and 90’s, but was very fresh and modern.
CATBEAR:
Zoe Konez – lead guitar and vocals
Sarah Smith – drums and vocals
Marina – keyboards
CATBEAR setlist:
‘Only Desire’ (from 2021 album ‘Into The Light’)
‘Who Are You?’ (from 2021 album ‘Into The Light’)
‘In The Night’ (from 2021 album ‘Into The Light’)
‘I Choose Love’ (from 2023 single release)
‘Beast Of The Night’ (from 2021 album ‘Into The Light’)
‘Love And War’ (from 2021 album ‘Into The Light’)
