This was my first gig in August, how did I almost miss the first two weeks? I have no idea but I am glad I came to this one at the fabulous Fulford Arms in York. The Palava were headliners and strangely this was the first time I had seen them, were they any good? You will have to read on to find out because first there were a few support bands. First up was a band with a simple yet brilliant name, Poundlad. They fuse punk, post-punk, and metal. Just when you think they are heading towards something formulative or derivative they surprise you. The members of PoundLad have many talents, the drummer is stunningly good with the energy of Keith Moon and the control of Charlie Watts. I also love the three guitars, no bass, riff assault. How many bands have written a song about a broken banister? Not many is my guess, but PoundLad has and it is damned good. They finished with a mad and manic cover of a Girls Aloud song. A great band indeed!
Next, it was City Snakes who were a late replacement for As Catie Goes. This was the third time that I have seen them and the first time without their ready-made audience of school/ college mates. They stormed it like they were headlining and absolutely smashed it, I reckon the sadly relatively small crowd was easily won over. City Snakes are shaping up to be a truly great British rock band. They have power, volume, an abundance of musical talent, and some great songs. Once again the drummer showed an obscene level of skill with the sticks. The band incorporates punk elements, funk elements (a la Red Hot Chili Peppers), and heavy rock (a la Def Leppard). This is a band that deserves to be huge and if they continue to progress the way they have since I first saw them back in February this year.
The third band to take the stage was Flash Daddy who gave us full-on rock ‘n’ roll all the way from Reims in France. These lads know how to rock and they rocked it fucking hard! There was a touch of Led Zeppelin, especially the Bonhamesque drums, the Black Crowes, the Kinks, and the Strokes. This was a truly magnificent set from a powerhouse of a band. They have some cracking tracks up on Spotify, check them out.
Finally, it was time for the Palava who gave us very funky punk with an infusion of 60s psychedelia and a pinch of 90s Indie. This is a supremely tight and well-rehearsed band and they seemed to be loving every moment on stage. The current single “What’s That Sound” is pretty darned good, but in a live environment it doesn’t just blow the cobwebs away, it fucking napalms them. The cover of the Amy Winehouse classic “Back To Black” which under their care became a banging rock anthem. Is there another rock band around that could do that with this song? I don’t think so. After one set from the Palava, I am most definitely a fan!
All pictures, except the gig poster, were taken by me using my very cheap Chinese Android phone. The videos were found on YouTube. If the video is yours and you would like a credit or for it to be removed please let me know.
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