Wednesday 25 January 2012

#12//Tribes//The Hippodrome//Kingston//Thursday 19th January

Hey people i'm back!!!! After a much needed break over the festive period i've been itching to get my gigging shoes back on my feet and keep you guys up to date with all the bands you need to see and all the nights you need to check out. First up for 2012: Camden heroes TRIBES play an intimate album launch show at The Hippodrome in Kingston for Banquet records at their New Slang night.


First a few words for the people at Banquet, i've never known a company look after the fans more, there are regular free in-stores and every Thursday they take over The Hippodrome in Kingston and put on a night called New slang featuring the best new bands around, the ticket is always a fiver and the caliber of acts they have had on over the years is just ridiculous, i've seen the likes of vampire weekend, jamie t, maccabees, futureheads, foals, mystery jets to name but a few, also, if like tonight, a band has just released an album then for SEVEN quid you get the brand new CD plus entry to the show!!!! How good is that!? That's laughing in the face of the recession and keeping the prices low for the fans, Legends. 



Now in the last year Tribes have managed to stay away from all those 'one to watch' polls and by playing live all the time they have built up a massive fan base just with the power of their tunes and an admirable work ethic. Debut album Baby has just come out and it is everything i hoped it would be, 2012 is going to see these boys get huge and if you hear about tiny shows like this then be sure not to pass them up because it won't be long before everyone else catches on and you have to go to some shit enormodome to see them.

The Hippodrome was the busiest i've seen it in ages and the crowd were in fine form straight from the off, loads of crowd surfing, chicks on shoulders and arms aloft sing-a-longs. Its easy to see why though when every Tribes song sounds like an instant classic, when they play tracks like 'whenever', 'sappho' and 'when my day comes' it's just not possible to not be singing your heart out by the chorus, these are rabble rousing tunes. Then the slower numbers like 'night driving', 'coming of age' and 'himalaya' just get you, straight in the heart every time, maybe it is just because this writer is part of their generation but these tales of missing friends, breaking up with lovers and being scared of growing up, well jeez, i can just really relate to everything they are singing about and therefore it's really easy to immerse myself and get lost in this music. The boys finished with a massive rendition of 'we were children', a tale of regret about bullying someone when you were a kid, that was sung back to them by every single person in the venue, a fitting end to a great, great show.

TRIBES truly are a band of the people, charm of the libs, soaring melodies like the best smashing pumpkins and a way with a chorus like vintage pixies. Go see them now.


NITTY GRITTY
Venue: it's an actual suburban club, you know like those shit ones you used to go in when you were younger in your hometown before you moved to London. The ones you wouldn't be seen dead in now, well its worth going back in for these nights, it's small and there are bars everywhere so it is easy to get a beer, the only downside is it is in Kingston which doesn't have a tube, but when the bands are so good i just think sod it and get in my van and drive.
Drinks: cheap, student prices, no pints though, slightly annoying.
Crowd: Kingston's finest indie kids, all look like they are in Skins.
Enough of this detailed review, just tell me, did Tribes look cool or what?: Camden chic aint they, all leather, messy hair and fucked up converse, they look the business, they are the sort of band that make you get your brand new white converse on and get all your mates to stamp over them to fuck them up so you look cool and not like some goon from The Only Way Is Essex.




ACE FACE
Alanna Macintosh (pictured with yours truly, she wouldn't appear unless i did).
Accountant from Inverness.


Hey Alanna, so what did you think?
Loved it, i'm here with my friend who works in music and she said i had to check these out, she was right, they are brilliant, the venue is funny too, feels weird that it's an old nightclub with carpet and stuff but it works, i'd come back.


Got any gigs coming up?
Oh loads, my next one is Pete Doherty at The Jamm in Brixton this weekend.


Festivals this year? Where you going?
Yep quite a few actually, but really looking forward to Frequency and BBK Live, it's all about the foreign festivals. 
Couldn't agree more, every year i say i'm not going to do Benicassim and then every year the line up is soooooo boss that i end up going, that's five years on the trot i've been trying not to go!

Finally, the big question!!!!!! Get your ipod out, i want to see what was the last song you listened to?
Oh dear this could be dodgy... oh wait, it's 'give back the sun' by The View.
Ah brilliant, so sticking with your roots and keeping things Scottish? haha
Of course!!

THE ALBUM: BABY

I'm gonna keep this short, there is not one single track out of 11 that i skip, this is brilliant, near perfect, it works when you're in the bath and your flatmate is out so u have all the doors open and the stereo up loud, it works on the last tube when you're drunk and there aren't many people around and everything is a bit scary, it works in the van when your burning around with your windows down singing your heart out, it works when your feeling shit cos its January and another year has passed and all you have to show for it is loads more hangovers and finally, it works when your just so happy that you could burst like when your dad who you think doesn't give a shit about your blog, asks you for loads of your business cards because he has been telling all his friends about it on his building site and they all want to have a look.
So that's it, go see Tribes and go buy their album, i'm backing these boys all the way.

COMING UP: Maccabees next week and New York Hipsters, Friends the following week, it's great to be back guys and remember anyone who wants to get involved in what i do just contact me: dannywoodlands@yahoo.co.uk   

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