Gig Review: The Sherlocks at Rescue Rooms, 8th March 2017

Starting up in the dark, distant past known as 2014, The Sherlocks have come a fair way over the past three years. To say they haven't released a full album yet and have relied solely on a discography of six singles and a bunch of unreleased tracks, they've got an absolutely rabid fan-base. 

I went to Nottingham's Rescue Rooms, (just adjoining the infamous Rock City) without knowing what to expect. Apart from sharing the name of my girlfriend's cat, and their origins from a woefully under-represented Bolton-Upon-Dearne, I was essentially clueless. The only titbits of information I could gather was that the last time they came to Nottingham, it was "pure mayhem". I doubt the gig heralded the introduction of a purely anarchistic society, but I'm sure they mean it was rather mental. I see that we have different definitions of what constitutes 'pure mayhem'. 

Just to clarify before I start ranting and get all carried away from my last few strands of journalistic integrity, I just want to say that I really enjoyed the gig. Honestly, I did. No sarcasm or facetious intent here, I very much enjoyed the venue, the support acts, and The Sherlocks themselves. Anything negative from here on out can be immediately disregarded as me being grumpy, cynical, or a combination of the two. So, without further ado, on with the review.

I like venues like the Rescue Rooms. Obviously, aside from paying £4 for a can of Red Stripe, smaller locations like these let me stand near the back, yet still get a clear view of bands, and the young lads who are being sick in the middle of the crowd. There were no mentions or warnings of projectile vomiting beforehand, but thankfully I managed to keep a safe distance away. 

First up, braving the very first support slot, were Faux Pas. An indie-punk band from York, the lads did a cracking job in front of a minimal crowd. Apparently, people aren't punctual to gigs these days, although I did initially think that Faux Pas just meant some kind of break before the first advertised support act went on stage.

Next, following a much more traditional indie-rock formula were Oddity Road, although I'm afraid I can't remember where these guys are from. Oh, apologies, they're from Sheffield, as they were very adamant on letting us know. They pumped out cleaner, moodier tunes that the main act, but they gave a memorable performance and certainly are one to watch. 

Then of course, we had an interval until The Sherlocks arrived. This interval reminded me of a personal pet-peeve of mine, which is half-hearted attempts at singing. There were the usual indie-filler tunes; Two Door Cinema Club and The Smiths struck a chord with everyone, but then when 'Parklife' and 'Not Nineteen Forever' hit, the crowd suddenly turned into a nervous wreck, mumbling along until the chorus hit. Come on lads, either sing your heart out or don't bother, we're not fans of indecisiveness here. 

Coming out to 'Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag', you could tell the crowd was bubbling: From the young 'uns who couldn't brave the surrounding pubs, to older folks around the room's perimeter, everyone was eager for the two sets of brothers which make up The Sherlocks. 

Opening with 'Last Night', (I mean, what else would they open with?), the crowd seemed to instantly live up to expectations, trying to best the liveliness displayed in the same venue in the prior year. Then blasting through 'Escapade' and unreleased tune 'Nobody Knows', they ploughed through the absolute belter 'Will You Be There?'

Here's the one worry I have about The Sherlocks. It's not the fact that head-honcho Kiaran made the wise decision to wear a scarf and jacket in a small venue rammed with about 200 people, (you're not going outside mate, there's no need to wrap up like that), it's the expectations that have been placed upon these four lads. 

Hailing as an indie band from remotely close to the steel city, everyone and their Auntie Mabel have jumped to the conclusion that these guys are the next big thing. That's quite possibly true, especially looking at the gigs that these lads put on. But putting that much pressure on an unsigned band will influence them, and not necessarily to their benefit. With many songs based around nights out, or their consequence, it's very easy to compare The Sherlocks' music to that of the Arctic Monkeys' first album, even The Courteeners. 

The Sherlocks aren't doing that. Yes, some songs reference nightlife and attempts to pull, (chiefly 'Last Night', 'Live for the Moment', 'Escapade', 'Chasing Shadows' and 'Was It Really Worth It?'), but they centre around much broader, vaguer concepts; you don't get a tune purely concerning getting a taxi home with this lot. 

But that being said, the band shine the most when they try new stuff and distance themselves from such assumptions. Five of the songs from the eleven-track set list are yet to be released, and these are by far the most interesting. They may have the tried-and-tested indie formula down to a tee, with a simplistic riff following an equally simple chorus, but tracks like 'Motions' and 'Blue' try and break that concept. For example, 'Blue' has more in common with western-sounding ballads than any typical indie banger, addressing concerns and anxieties with the future. As a result, it demands your attention in a set which risked drifting into familiar, possibly generic-sounding territory.

But thankfully, the lads turned it around, closing with two of their best tunes. It was at this point when about four teenage lads were sick and had to miss the gig's close, just to give you a fully immersive gig experience. 'Was It Really Worth It?', their latest single and possibly best song yet was the penultimate tune, which was closely followed by 'Chasing Shadows'. I can assure you, the crowd did not let up at this point, (although I suppose that's a benefit of having an eleven-song set). Stuck in a frenzy throughout the final song, The Sherlocks seemed to wield an unyielding grip on the crowd. 

Overall, it was a top gig, filled with promising support acts, a bubbling, lively crowd, and a headliner that are quickly spreading their wings in the indie scene. Top job lads, just dress appropriately next time.

Who the Fuck are Antarctic Monkeys? A Brief Gander at the Cover Band

Much like with many things in life, whether it be my job, my aspirations, or even what to have on a sandwich at Subway, I'm a bit torn on this matter. Apologies in advance, because this indecisiveness isn't going away at any point during this article, I'm just slap-bang in the middle of this certain predicament. You know what? Let me explain myself a little, in the hopes that you'll better understand my situation.

In fact, given the ambiguity of the title, I should probably explain that first. Long story short, I paid ten British pounds, (and to a student that's like taking out a second mortgage), to witness a peculiar phenomenon: The Great British cover band. Did I feel like I got my money’s worth? Did I reckon that the band were any good? Were they a viable alternative to the real thing? I couldn't really tell you, I was absolutely gone if I'm honest with you, dear reader.

Oh yes, my situation. If you have a quick look over at the acoustic lounge here at Northern Exposure, you'll understand, (hopefully). I am a member of Round Are Way, arguably the member with the best facial hair. This entire cover band malarkey is kind of what I do, along with four other dedicated lads who take on this endeavour as a passion project. As such, the entire concept of journalistic impartiality must take a back seat here; if I was to drunkenly slate the concept, I'd be doing myself, and a whole group of budding musicians a discredit. But if I praise cover bands as the next best thing since the George Foreman grill, you could be forgiven for dismissing my opinion as biased. Let me give you a little more context to get things rolling.

So, on the 4th of February for those of you using the Gregorian calendar, myself and a few other individuals forked out a tenner each to witness a full set of Arctic Monkeys songs covered by the musical stylings of the Antarctic Monkeys, a cover band with a name perfectly close to the real thing that makes you look twice if you're slightly intoxicated. 

What did I reckon? Well, for the sake of for providing you with a clear argument, and because I'm a fan of making a story out of anything, I'm first going to play devil's advocate, (not because I'm at all jealous that their cover band tours the country and plays venues that have lighting and security and all that) and bullet point some negatives. I'm then going to look at the band with a bit more of an optimistic view, ensuring that hopefully I might just retain a future in journalism. So, prepare yourself for some thinly veiled shite-talking, but don't say I didn't warn you. Here's my list of negatives:

1. I kept shouting 'mid-life crisis Alex Turner' at the front-man before I went to the bar. Yes, before I went. Although I feel that this is more a reflection of myself rather than an issue on the band's behalf. Aside from my rather comments toward the front-man, he wielded some signature Turner cockiness rather well. I was also a bit jealous of the fact that Mr. Reynolds had mastered the Turner quiff when I couldn't. 

2.  Similarly, I wasn't a fan of the bassist's T-Shirt. Stuck out a bit much for my liking. However, I was a fan of his facial hair, so this point kind of invalidates itself. 

3. A tenner a ticket lads? I appreciate you're proper professionals and all that, but I couldn't even sneak into Propaganda afterwards! I also had a mate who scoffed at me for seeing a cover band rather than watching a DJ pump tunes out on his MacBook, (in a point which is kind of elaborated on in a bit) so there's that too. 

4. The Antarctic Monkeys' version of 'Mardy Bum' made mine look a bit rubbish in comparison. Cheers lads, much appreciated. Honestly, you guys with your practicing and rehearsing and doing it for over a decade and all that...

5. Leading on from my last point, these lads get to do shite like this, as seen in the below picture.

Antarctic Monkeys Facebook

What is this picture? Good question, dear reader. This is the chaps of Antarctic Monkeys after playing a gig for Liam Gallagher's son's birthday, and it's rightfully captioned, "Who'd be in a tribute band aye!". Purely out of spite, as an individual who doesn't get to do stuff like that, this has made the negative side of this list.

6. This experience really, really made me want to see the real thing. But given that we can't expect to see any new Arctic Monkeys material until the middle of this year, (at the earliest), it's going to be a long six or so months.

7. Four quid for a single vodka? Surely you can't be serious lads? I mean, I know this was not fault of the band themselves, it's just I felt that such an injustice needed exposing.

8. There's got to be some individuals who see proper gigs for cover bands to be a bit of a waste? Whenever we've played a venue, it's either been as a support for an original/bigger cover band, or doing our own gigs in your very own local. Of course, my musical endeavours and that of these guys are worlds apart from each-other, but some are still a tad sceptical:

 

See what I mean? I found at least one person who's a bit wary about the entire concept. Forget the fact that they can't use the word 'an', or the fact that there's always demand for old, well-known tunes being played live rather than original acts, this Rosie is on it. At least two-hundred people rammed into The Platform at a tenner a ticket? Of course, I'm sure the venue will have some of that, but that's a nice pay check for a two-hour set.

There you go then. Eight highly detailed and down to earth points. And if you look beyond my tendencies to exaggerate slightly, you'll see that none of my points really address the important things, like musical aptitude or vocal ability. Aside from being a bit jealous and trying to blame the drinks prices on this Wolverhampton four-piece, there's not a lot to complain about really. I suppose at a push, Mr. Turner's vocals did feel a bit forced, but if they were props to him for keeping it up for the duration of the gig

Now to calm myself slightly and adopt a positive outlook. What did I enjoy about the Antarctic Monkeys gig on The Platform? 

Well, like the aforementioned Rosie, I too was a bit apprehensive about a full, paid gig being dedicated to a single cover band, even though I believe that most are the shit. That's not shit, that's the shit. And these guys will proudly tell you that they're the "Official International Tribute to the Arctic Monkeys", what that means is a different matter entirely, I can only assume that the guys went up to Turner and Helders and politely asked them for their blessing...

But anyway, the experience itself was not unlike most other full-time cover bands: You rock up to the gig, probably a bit late and rather drunk, (they are only a cover band after all, right Rosie?), get an extortionate round in while they come on, sing along with whoever you've gone with, make some sideways comment along the lines of "yeah, they're actually alright these", and then carry on your session elsewhere. That was indeed what I experienced myself, but there were a few factors which I did appreciate, and felt the need to highlight to you. 

There a few problems with Arctic Monkeys. Yes, I'm referring to the real deal here. Of course, you (dear reader) may believe the newer stuff of the Sheffield quartet is somewhat lacking when compared to their older, rawer tunes. You may or may not be right, but that's not what I'm getting at. Being the latest indie behemoth since Oasis, Turner and friends have trouble nowadays with smaller, more intimate venues without going acoustic; it would be a bit odd going from Glastonbury and Finsbury Park all the way to your nearest O2 Academy. As such, we may never unfortunately see the likes of their early, high-energy gigs in small pubs and clubs. You know, like this: 

Yeah sorry lads, that probably isn't happening again. But what you did get with Antarctic Monkeys, was a mix of the original band's stadium-filling modern bangers (see 'R U Mine?'), but also rarely played earlier tunes, my personal favourite being 'Perhaps Vampires is a Bit Strong But...'. You got those lovely small venue vibes and the best possible Arctic Monkeys set list. When are we going to get a proper version of 'Mardy Bum' again, never mind the likes of their debut album tunes which never made it into singles? If you can't see the real thing anytime soon, get yourself towards these lads. It'll even be cheaper, closer and more frequent that the real thing too. 

I may have previously thrown some derogatory comments towards a Mr. Reynolds, (not the darts player, the Antarctic lead chap), but his imitation of Turner is spot on: Quiff? Check. Leather jacket and shirt combo? Check. Black and Gold Les Paul? Check. The sly banter between tunes seals the deal, and the front-man has done his homework for his pre-song quips. The act's dedication and cohesion is stellar, and it shows in the grace present in their performances. I always disregard comments like "just as good as the real thing", but these remarks aren't without an element of truth.

What I'm trying to say, in an admittedly long-winded fashion, is that if you have a drink, suspend your disbelief slightly, and bring the right friends with you, Antarctic Monkeys will probably be as good as the real thing. You'll also be closer to home and have some spare dosh to spend on those enticing Desperados offers, so really, it’s a win/win. Apologies for being weary lads, and I'll see you in Rotherham in March. I'm sure 'Fake Tales...' will go down a treat there.