The Borderline

The Twang: The Borderline, London

Two years on from the release of their b-sides album ‘Subscription’, Birmingham’s The Twang were back in London for intimate warm up gig at the Borderline.

Road testing new songs for a seasoned band is never an enviable task. Many of the crowd are either unaware or not interested. So, top open with for newbies was always a bold choice. However, through sheer punk rock commitment to the cause, they win over the room with ease.

A punk fire burned through ‘Time Waits’ and ‘Dream’, the latter expertly spliced with the psyche-funk of ‘Fools Gold’. Their latest single ‘Everytime’ is a marked change in direction with its disco influences. It oozed sexuality and attitude via slick basslines and a sumptuous chorus.

From this point onwards, it’s the classics all the way! The swagger of the Mondays and the grit of The Enemy permeates the everyman ‘Took The Fun’ and ‘Back Where We Started’. When they hit this groove, it’s one of the purest sights in music. Few bands can cause outbreaks of freaky dancing on this scale. When you take step back, and consider the Ken Loach realism and Shane Meadows romanticism of the characters they are portraying, this is as pure as live music can be.

This gig was postponed after drummer Ash tragically lost his Uncle John. If everyone had the love of this send-off, the world would be a sincerely better place. RIP uncle John, you were loved at the Borderline.

Friday 2nd August marks our 8th birthday. Come down to the New Cross Inn for a night of great live music. Tickets available here:

 

The Blinders: The Borderline, London

The re-vamped Borderline played host to The Blinders this past Wednesday night. It has been a mere 3 months since their last trip to the capital but, the contrast in the crowd is striking.

The Lexington gig in February had an air of ‘those in the know’ dragging someone along to see the UK’s hottest property. This show was the birth of a cult following. A small army of face painted disciples took to the front to mosh like their lives depended on it. We’ve seen it all before right? Well, the despair and isolation oozing from former single ‘Ramona Flowers’ is proof The Blinders’ existence depends on every note too.

There are nods to Joy Division, The Doors, and Nirvana, but crucially, their own identity is at the forefront now. They’re becoming more guttural in sound and more poetic in verse with every show. A dystopian landscape has been created and an underclass of intelligent creative souls are signing up in their droves.

With McGee and Lamacq in the audience and their debut due in the autumn, the big time is rightly approaching. With hordes of apathetic dullards tuning in to Love Island, let The Blinders infiltrate and remind everyone the power of working class art once again,