Everything After Midnight is a band that has grown in strength and confidence since forming four years ago. This gig was a showcase for the launch of their new single “I Guess,” and promoted by the talented Mr. P at Northern Radar. How did Everything After Midnight perform? You will need to read on to find out as there were two great support bands, neither of which I had seen before. Starting with PH7, they kicked off like the 60s Fleetwood Mac but with more of a Heather Baron-Gracie (Pale Waves) vocal sound. It would not be easy to put PH7 into a specific genre and they have some great tunes. “Botheration” was ace. Their cover of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” really kicked arse and rocked harder than Chris Martin and the lads have ever done. The PH7 guitarist was stunningly good, but sadly he is leaving the band. If you get a chance to see PH7 live, take it!
Next, it was the wonderfully named Mollie Coddled. If you can imagine Cydi Lauper fronting a jazz-funk/post-punk hybrid then you might come close to how Mollie Coddled sounded to me. The bass sound and playing was immense and skillful. Sadly, just like the PH7 guitarist the Mollie Coddled bass player is leaving, this was his final gig. “Guilt Trip” gave me some Hooray For The Riff Raff and Bran Van 3000 vibes. Meanwhile, “Lonely Bitch” was like a 60s girl group and punk crossover, like classic early Blondie.
Finally, it was time for the future legends known as Everything After Midnight. They took to the stage while the jaunty and jolly theme from The Simpsons was playing. That really had to be their walk-on music didn’t it, given the gig poster. The big question was whether Lisa Simpson might play some saxophone for them, sadly she didn’t, but maybe next time. This was a really imaginative set that bordered on epic in both style and content. The band was in top form and showed super-powered control and command of the depth and dynamics of their sound. Everything After Midnight have continued to develop a real melting pot of musical styles and influences with which they create that distinctive and idiosyncratic Everything After Midnight soundscape. They have matured relatively quickly for a band, and remain hard, or more likely, impossible to drop easily into a specific genre box. There is alt.folk, electric folk, prog, post-punk, classic rock, and even some melodies that would not be out of place in a classical music score.
Jacob’s guitar playing moves from Mick Ronson to Johnny Marr and most things in between. Then there are Steph’s soaring, confident vocals, she has grown hugely as a singer since I first saw the band back in February 2022. In this set, I felt that she had the sweetness and clarity of Sandy Denny’s voice and in the heavier moments more like Kiki Dee on steroids or Lulu fronting a metal band. The highlights were plentiful and bounteous, but among that crop of great songs “Real Estate” and new single “I Guess,” stood out for me. Check this band out NOW, that is an order!
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