This was to be the final Howl And The Hum Show. Frontman Sam Griffiths, Bradley Blackwell (Bass), Conor Hirons (Guitar), and Jack Williams (Drums) have decided to call it a day on one of the best bands to emerge from York. Will they ever come back together? Who knows, but whatever happens I am sure that each of them will continue to make music in one form or another and the canon of songs they leave behind will remain truly wonderful. But before I get to that final performance I must tell you about the fabulous support act, Bar Pandora. What a performance! A truly gorgeous synth-pop sound, a bit like Kate Bush and Siouxse Sioux arriving on the electronic pop scene in the UK in 1981/ 82. While there were influences this is very much a talented and original artist. I loved the glitter apparel, although the synth/ bass player didn’t get the memo on the glitter look. But to be fair he made up for it by looking like a cooler version of Graham Coxon. I bloody love Bar Pandora!
Finally, it was time to say a final goodbye to the magnificent Howl And The Hum. This was the final of a few farewell shows at the Crescent and it was an emotionally charged night for everyone in the room, myself included. Alongside the palpable emotion inside the Crescent, the songs, as expected, oozed emotion. “Hostages” always brings a tear to my eye and tonight was no exception, I witnessed many others leaking salty liquid from their eyes too. While “Hostages” was probably the peak moment for me both, “Godmanchester Chinese Bridge” and “The Only Boy Racer On The Island” were awe-inspiring. “Sweet Fading Silver” deserves a special mention too. The band even took us back to their days as a covers band with a rousing and rollicking rendition of AC/ DC’s “Highway To Hell”. I have been lucky enough to see the Howl And The Hum play live a few times and until tonight I had never really noticed the Talking Heads influence, but it is deep in their sound. So farewell you wonderful band and I am looking forward to whatever comes next from all of you!
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