Meaty Metal Music

Last Thursday brought me all the way to the sunny district of Brixton. A place I said to myself I would never return to, mainly because the smell of sweat and piss have never really appealed to me. But here I was returning once again and this time to catch one of the biggest up and coming bands in todays British guitar music scene… Wunderhorse. Being attacked by drugged up locals wasn’t on my list of “to ’do’s” for the evening but there I was, being shouted at that I “did not have god on my side” due to the fact I didn’t carry any change in my pocket.

In an effort to cut down the amount of time we spent in Brixton we missed out on what I’m sure was great support from Melbourne outfit ‘highschool’. Coming up to the venue I couldn’t help but notice the number of oversized shirts and freshly bought doc martins holding up the queue that was long as I could see. Wrapped around the O2 Academy and sign posted by the same locals, I had the pleasure of let’s say “discussing investment opportunities” with earlier. With security that would rival the likes of Buckingham palace, Wembley stadium and the casino in Crawley town centre. 

Before any actual music was heard we headed straight to one of the many bars that the O2 Academy have to offer to get myself a well-earned drink. Coming off a week in Spain the last thing I wanted to see was my old mate Mr San Miguel, but there he was being poured straight out the can and into my plastic cup. The venue has had a lot to get right in the last couple of years and one thing it certainly has done was the style of cup, not too thin, not too hard and not too small to the point where I spill 80% of the pint walking back to my seat either.

Following a few more trips to the bar, and countless more to the awkwardly small doored toilets. Wunderhorse entered the stage and opened with some song I can’t remember the name of but it certainly got everyone excited as they leapt up and out of their seats. I had bought tickets in the seated section which were then rendered completely fucking useless. Not one to complain, mainly because no one around would listen, I enjoyed the gig nevertheless. Frontman Jacob Slater having all the energy of a radiator in Latvia, set the stage on fire with sharp lyrics and an even sharper jawline. Proving why he is one of the top front men in this current wave of British rock.

With the band only forming 4 short years ago, they don’t have the extensive back catalog that many of the current touring bands possess. One thing this means though is everyone gets their favourite song played. Arizona? Yes. Purple? Of course. Atlantis? Oh yeah. Teal? Yes… but get a different favourite song you basic prick. In between crowd talk that you couldn’t understand the words of, and the characteristic Slater swagger, was a gig filled with emotionally filled musical highs and lows. Not all the focus can just go on that singer that played Paul cook in Disney’s interesting attempt of a sex pistols biopic, Pistol. Theres the rest of the band that needs a whole lot of credit too, Jamie Staples, Pete Woodin and Harry Fowler came together to create a wall of unadulterated and pretentious indie blitz. With two headline gigs next year at the mighty Alexandra palace, it did have the sense of an end of an “underground era” of the band. The sort of gig you can mention constantly in 10 years’ time to show off Infront of people that probably don’t care that much anyway. 

With the last chords of ‘superman’ still ringing through the weed-soaked air (not mine but someone certainly close by) I Headed for the door. With being stuck in Brixton overnight being my definition of hell, we ran for the last train out of London’s answer to a Brazilian favela. Overall, this turned out to be a good night that was topped off by the 6 cans of every little punks first love (Red Stripe) that sat beautifully waiting for me at Victoria stations M&S.

Notes that I’d like for you to take away from my evening are the following… 02 Academy Brixton is back, Rock n Roll is Back, and £7.75 for a fucking can of beer is modern day piracy. 

See you at the next one x