Fife four piece Shambolics brought their brand of dreamy rock n roll to the London’s Water Rats last Thursday. Signed to Alan McGee’s impeccable Creation23, the buzz was tangible for their first sold out London date.
Some bands are forever better live than they are on record. For Shambolics, it was more a case of let’s playing with their influences. ‘My Time Is Now’ goes from a Miles Kane anthem to a Donna Summer colossus live. Meanwhile, ‘Fight Inside of Me’ took the extravagance of the Roses ‘Second Coming’ and injected it with the pop-punk of The Buzzcocks.
The set hit magical heights when they combined modern day indie-punk with the 1970s West Coast USA. ‘Sandra Speed’ showcased the blossoming partnership of Lewis McDonald and Darren Forbes. The shimmering guitars of David Crosby and the excess of Stephen Stills combined on a tale of pure escapism, it was undeniable.
Latest single ‘Chasing A Disaster’, walked the tight rope being heavily reliant on The LA’s and The View but, it’s infectious melody was too good to reject. Toxic masculinity, a hot topic of recent times was washed away with warm embracing and carefree dancing during these blissful four minutes.
When Gerry Cinnamon burst onto the scene in 2017, he reminded everyone just how popular tales of everyday are. On ’When She Goes Home’, we’re given even a bigger reminder. Via Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’, Shambolics lit up the Water Rats with their tale of a naive female protagonist. Put through their CSN harmonies and early hooks of The View, they’ve built a joyous set closer for life.
The big challenge for Shambolics now is, converting all this magic into a killer album. It’s inevitable right?