Wednesday 4 March 2015

Gig Reivew: Moose Blood at Colchester Arts Centre 3/3/15



Moose Blood and Creeper are two bands who are very clearly on the rise. Two of the most popular of the current crop of British punk bands emerging from the underground who this year have already been on tours this year with some of the heavyweights of alternative music in the UK, Fightstar (Moose Blood) and Funeral For A Friend (Creeper). This week both bands are on a weeklong tour of the UK starting last night in my hometown of Colchester. I went along to the Arts Centre to see two bands I think have the potential to be real success stories.

I arrived at the Arts Centre as local act Dan Warburton was already a good way through his set. Dan Warburton (tonight nicknamed the Breadman, a joke that took me way too long to get) is an acoustic singer songwriter with strong pop punk influences. Not being too familiar with his music I found it difficult to get fully invested in his set (maybe a little because I kept checking my phone to see how my beloved Crystal Palace were getting on in their game against Southampton) but it was great to see a local act having the chance to play to a decent sized crowd and he clearly had a lot of fun doing it.

Up next were Creeper, a band I’ve been wanting to catch live after hearing their debut EP last year. I’d seen singer Will’s and guitarist Ian’s previous band Our Time Down Here a couple of times and always thoroughly enjoyed their shows and was expecting big things for Creeper. Boy, they didn’t disappoint. Considering these five guys have only been a band since 2014 it’s amazing to see just how polished they are as a band. Will is one of the most charismatic front men I have seen in a long time, he had the audiences undivided attention. Clearly massively influenced by Davey Havok of AFI but never feeling like a cheap knock off, he really stole the show. Unfortunately for me the set felt a little short, not surprising as they only have the one EP released so far. If that EP and a very impressive live show are anything to go by then Creeper are destined for the top.


It always amazes me just how far Moose Blood have come in such a short space of time. The first time I ever heard of them was when they were the opening act for Broadway Calls, Gnarwolves and Great Cynics at the Camden Underworld back in 2013. Not many people that night knew who they were but almost everyone was very impressed after that performance. Since then they have released their debut album I’ll Keep You In Mind From Time To Time on American label No Sleep Records, toured all around the UK with some of the biggest bands in our genre and also had a highly successful tour of the United States. Later this year they will take part in the Warped Tour, which I believe is the biggest travelling festival in the world. The kids at Colchester Arts Centre were clearly very excited for them to be in town, within the first thirty seconds of opening song, the phenomenal Bukowski one young lad was already on stage ready to dive back into the crowd. Stage diving was a running theme throughout the set with the crowd getting more and more amped throughout. Seemingly being forever on tour has seen Moose Blood grow into a very accomplished live band. They didn’t miss a note throughout the set despite the chaos going on around them. Lead singer Eddy’s voice was exceptional, my mate Jon suggested that his voice may actually sound better live than on record and I have to say I agree with him. This performance proved just why Moose Blood are so highly thought of in the music world. They are an exceptionally gifted band with a skill for writing incredible songs and playing absolutely flawless live shows. 


Now listening to My New Dress Up Shoes by The Smith Street Band

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