The Beat Surrender

I was well knackered for this one, following a session the previous night, after the customary away defeat, to Wolves. But I’d been looking forward to seeing The Pigeon Detectives for a while after missing out on a couple of other opportunities so wasn’t going to let this one go by for the sake of a hangover.

Support Bands? Interesting terminology as My Exploding Heart and Pull Tiger Tail didn’t seem to offer much, support that is. My Exploding Heart was first up and after two tracks the only thing exploding were my ear drums. This forced an early retreat back to the bar. After the beer, made the effort to go back down for next up, Pull Tiger Tail, thankfully not as loud, but disappointingly they came across as just a bit dull. Which was a shame cause a mate, had heard from another mate, that they were okay. So in turn, this forced another, though not as rapid bar run.

The scene was set. A home town band with a growing reputation and a packed out venue. Lad’s young and old packing out the front of the stage had already begun to bounce around and sing along to the DJ’s set. Finally The Pigeons took the stage to “Drove All Night”, backed up by chants of “Yorkshire, Yorkshire” and the hurling beer (never understood the point of that). Although as a kind gesture the band did replace some of the split beer by launching cans in to crowd.

I can tell by the first track if I’m going to enjoy a gig, from a band I’m yet to hear play a note. The band will usually choose one of their more up tempo tracks and if there’re up for it you can tell. They obviously did and they obviously were. Well lead by vocalist Matt Bowman, an absolute mentalist of a front man. Lot’s of knee slides and leaping from amps and plenty of mouth.

I don’t think there is anything particularly original about the ska type sound that gets belted out. You just can’t help but enjoy the fact that it sounds damm good. Even if it does make me feel old. Very old. But not that old. The tracks that stay in the mind the most from the night were “Romantic Type” the new single “I’m Not Sorry” which they finished off with and the two that began the set, “You know I Love You” and “I Found Out”. That’s not to say there wasn’t anything else there, there certainly was, it’s just I can’t remember it. It was a really good, lively, well preformed, well rehearsed set.

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